Houston leaders at odds over proposal to divert $25M in stormwater funding

Houston leaders disagree over funding changes

Houston leaders are butting heads over a proposal to divert $25 million in stormwater drainage funding to deal with derelict buildings in the city. 

HOUSTON - A $25 million storm brewing over Houston Mayor John Whitmire's plan to tear down hundreds of dilapidated structures.

Houston funding disagreement

During the budget process, Whitmire and the city council voted to shift the money from the stormwater drainage fund to attack the chronic, city-wide challenge of abandoned, derelict buildings.

Enter City Controller Chris Hollins, who is protesting the transfer of funds, claiming that structure demolition falls outside the strict criteria for flood control.

What they're saying:

Hollins is urging the council to block the mayor's proposal.

"The storm water fund is a restricted fund that should only be used legally on the city's storm water system or building or maintaining parts of that system, but instead we are using it in this proposal to knock down blighted properties," said Hollins.

The other side:

But Houston City Attorney Arturo Michel has told council there is nothing illegal or even improper about using the stormwater money for demolition.

Bill King, a fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute and a FOX 26 contributor, has thoroughly examined the issue and believes the mayor and council are on solid legal ground.

"The director of public works said specifically that they were going to be looking at each one of these buildings individually and only spending stormwater money on buildings that were somehow impeding drainage or affecting the sanitary sewer," said King.

To the critics who contend the fund transfer for demolition short changes flood mitigation, King points out that the Whitmire administration, with council support, has tripled the city's annual drainage investment.

What's next:

The city council is scheduled to revisit the issue at Wednesday's meeting.