Whitmire delivers the hard truth to City Council

HOUSTON - "In-the-red", "upside down", "under-water" You can call it whatever you want - but the city of Houston’s "bills" are out-stripping its "revenue."

Mayor John Whitmire says the City of Houston is :broke"

So says Mayor John Whitmire - in brutally, honest fashion... After looking "beneath the hood" of the city's finances., post-Sylvester Turner.

I mention the former mayor because just a few months ago the story "he" was telling. was much different.

At the State of the City address last fall, Mayor Turner said, " Instead of a hundred and sixty million in the hole we will give you a surplus of nearly 420 million dollars ."

Clearly, two versions of bookkeeping here....one a fantasy....the other a "reality" which Mayor John Whitmire says will demand decisive and potentially unpopular measures.

FOX LOCAL has this week's What's Your Point on demand. Watch when you want and watch again

At the city council meeting this week Whitmre said, " I don't like a 5% cut now, but you have to make tough decisions and folks put me in this position to make tough decisions and I’m going to do my job."

Whitmire says all options are on the table - including clawing back sales tax revenue from Metro and tapping the coffers the so-called "tax increment re-investment zones".

Houston Mayor says the city is 'broke'

Mayor Whitmire acknowledges Houston's financial crisis, signaling tough decisions ahead, including possible budget cuts and exploring additional revenue sources.

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