With firefighter pay parity looming, City hires outside lawyers

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Fighting words at Houston City Hall.

"Let me just tell you, we will not be laying off police and fire in this city. I don't care what we have to do. We will not be putting our city in jeopardy of crime. If we do, we need to find some new council members and a new mayor," said Councilmember Dwight Boykins.

Charged by voters to pay Houston firefighters the same as police, City Council members have begun grappling with what one member called the "slow motion train wreck" of funding the 25 percent raise.

"There is no easy way. None. There is no easy way," said Mayor Sylvester Turner, who warned of the $100 million annual cost of pay parity.

But there is a possible route to soften the financial hit - accept the firefighters' offer to spread out the pay hike over multiple years in a new collective bargaining agreement. It is an option which multiple experts say would override the November 6th vote.

The mayor isn't so sure and asked Council for $1 million to hire outside lawyers to decipher the issue - a proposal which encountered considerable push back.

"I'll let you hire me for a dollar and I bet I can bring both parties to the middle of the road," said Council member Jack Christie.

"I say free is good, a million bucks for this, is bad," said Council member Michael Kubosh.

In the end, a split Council settled on half that amount, hoping it will quickly generate an answer to the question: Can the City avoid hundreds of layoffs by negotiating a more affordable pay deal with firefighters that's legal?

"I agree with them that collective bargaining, state law preempts the proposition. I agree with them. Let's go to the courthouse together. Let’s say the same thing to the judge as what they are saying now and then let's immediately sit down and talk about it and try and negotiate something that's in the best interest of them and the City of Houston," said Mayor Turner.

In response, Firefighter Union President Marty Lancton says surrendering "pay parity" earned at the ballot box is out of the question until the mayor first returns to the bargaining table.

The $500,000 approved by Council will be used to retain the legal services of Norton Rose Fulbright.