HOUSTON — Following months of debate, the Houston City Council voted to approve the settlement contract with the firefighters union, ending a yearslong legal battle.
The council took up the item Tuesday with several council members continuing to ask questions and offering skepticism about certain aspects of the agreement.
When it passed, there were cheers, tears and applause from the council chamber.
"It’s a lot, it’s been a long eight years," said an emotional Marty Lankton, the president of the Houston Firefighters Association. He helped hammer out the deal.
The deal includes $650 million in backpay going back to 2017. With interest, scheduled raises and other costs, the total price tag is estimated to be around $1.5 billion.
The council approved the bond to pay for the settlement last week but could not move ahead with passage until City Controller Chris Hollins certified it late Monday night.
“Just as my insistence on completing due diligence should not have been interpreted as opposition to the deal, my certification today should not be interpreted as a vote of confidence,” Hollins said in a statement.
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He and some council members had expressed concern about the settlement’s cost and future impact on the city’s finances, as the payment would likely take around 25 to 30 years to pay off.
In the end, it passed unanimously.
"This vote today was a show of support and appreciation for firefighters putting their lives on the line on a regular basis," Mayor John Whitmire said.
The mayor maintained throughout the process that the final agreement was the best deal the city could reach without risking a higher cost and potentially further litigation.
"Obviously, it will be challenging to pay for it. No one disputes that. But, we can't afford not to and it is a reasonable settlement," Whitmire said.
The mayor also mentioned he would explore ways for the city to get more revenue in the future including from sources from the state and county governments.
“We’re looking to the state for significant changes to how we run city and county government,” Whitmire said. “It’s going to take some legislative support."