Houston City Council assistant director presents $16.2 million FY26 council budget, keeps $5.5 million district service fund

Assistant Director Vernita Jones presented Houston City Council’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, proposing $16,198,664 for council operations and a $5,500,000 Council District Service Fund, during a council meeting presentation. "Good morning everyone. My name is Vernita Jones and this morning I will be presenting City Council's FY '26 proposed budget," Jones said.

The proposed general fund allocation for council offices totals $16,198,664, with an average of $626,033 allocated to each of the 16 council offices (11 district offices and five at-large offices). Jones said the council’s proposed full-time equivalent staffing for council offices is 88.6 FTEs and that personnel costs account for roughly 89% of the council’s budget.

The CDSF was presented at $5,500,000 for FY26, with $500,000 earmarked for each of the 11 district offices. Jones said the FY25 adopted CDSF was $5,500,000 and that a carryforward of $3,519,753 reflects projects approved in FY24 but not completed; she added that the final carryforward amount for FY25 is undetermined until June 30.

Jones detailed other line items the presentation highlighted: increases tied to full-time and part‑time HOPE allowances, health benefits and municipal pension adjustments, and several IT account changes. She said program-level allocations include roughly $10.7 million for council office operations and $5.5 million for the CDSF.

Council member Carter asked whether phone-line costs offer a potential savings, noting many council members route desk phones to cell phones and rarely receive calls on the desk line. "Seems seems like a waste, I guess," Carter said. Jones replied that phone charges are managed through the city’s IT budgets and that any savings would need to be assessed by IT, adding that many staff now receive calls through Teams.

A council member also asked whether CDSF money goes to nonprofits; Jones confirmed that money flowing to outside organizations does so through city departments and agencies, so such expenditures are recorded under the department that administers the project. Jones said CDSF-supported activity in FY25 included roughly 95 public-works projects and approximately 325 operating projects across departments and that detailed project listings are available on the council’s website.

No formal motions or votes on the FY26 council budget were recorded in this portion of the meeting; the presentation concluded and the council took a brief recess to continue with the Office of Business Opportunity.

The presentation included demographic and historical comparisons (FY25 vs. proposed FY26), program summaries, and line‑item details for IT accounts and voluntary municipal retirement payments. Jones noted that five council employees were eligible for a voluntary municipal retirement payment option and two accepted it, generating a reported savings of $26,067 for the council offices.

The council did not act on the budget during this presentation; staff will carry budget materials forward as the fiscal process continues. The council moved on to the next agenda item after the brief recess.