Residents, nonprofits urge Houston council to rethink budget, question large HPD contract

Dozens of residents, nonprofit leaders and neighborhood advocates urged the Houston City Council on June 3 to delay or amend Mayor John Whitmire’s proposed FY‑26 budget, focusing criticism on large planned increases for the Houston Police Department and cuts or slowdowns in frontline city services.

Speakers at the meeting’s public‑comment segment said the proposed package would redirect money away from storm drainage, parks, public works, housing and social services while expanding policing and surveillance. “This budget does not allocate enough to the things that make Houston a safe place to live,” Laura Gallier of Pure Justice said, calling for investments in drainage, housing and treatment instead of policing. Gallier and other speakers urged council to “reject this budget.”

Multiple speakers referenced recent contracts and pay increases for…