City Controller Hollins rejects Whitmire’s claim that he will certify $1.5B firefighter’s deal

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — City Controller Chris Hollins has denied Mayor John Whitmire’s claim that he will certify the Houston Firefighters Union deal with the city.

Whitmire previously stated that Hollins informed his staff he was satisfied with the responses to his questions and intended to certify the agreement. However, Hollins refuted this claim on Friday evening through an Instagram post, stating:

“The mayor doesn’t speak for me or my office. I appreciated the meeting with the mayor’s team, which was long overdue. The commitment I made was to review their written responses promptly and to make my decision regarding certification after my office has completed our due diligence. We are working expeditiously to do just that. Our goal is and always has been to protect the taxpayers of the City of Houston. The politics at play have no bearing on the work of the controller’s office.”

This rebuttal follows weeks of back-and-forth between Hollins and Whitmire. On June 5, Hollins declined to certify the agreement, and on June 11, he sent Whitmire questions seeking additional information on the deal.

The agreement, reached in March 2024 after years of negotiations on firefighter pay, includes approximately $650 million in back pay for Houston firefighters who worked for years without a contract with the city, as well as 34% raises over the next five years.

If Hollins decides to certify the deal, which was in jeopardy just two days ago, it could pass in Tuesday’s council vote.