Houston General Services proposes $236.6M FY2026 budget; deferred maintenance and workforce cuts take center stage

The Houston General Services Department on Monday presented a proposed FY2026 program expenditures budget of $236,600,000 and warned of large deferred-maintenance needs and staff reductions that will affect upkeep of city facilities.

General Services Director CJ Messiah opened the presentation and said, "the deferred maintenance cost is $760,000,000." He told council members the deferred-maintenance total would rise to about $1,400,000,000 if no action is taken over the next five years.

The presentation laid out major program budgets and revenue sources. Administrative services were budgeted at $17,600,000; energy management at $143,400,000; facilities design and construction at $8,300,000; facilities environmental management at $2,100,000; facilities maintenance at $51,700,000; facility security at $11,100,000; real estate management at $515,000; and debt service and interfund transfers at $1,600,000. The department proposed total revenues of $201,100,000, an increase of $34,300,000 (20.6 percent) from FY2025. Central-service revolving fund revenue is listed at…