Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will hold a series of public meetings in each City Council district to discuss the two referenda that will appear on the November ballot.
ReBuild Houston is the City’s effort to maintain and improve streets and drainage. The 2010 charter amendment was overturned by the Texas Supreme Court because plaintiffs showed it inadequately informed property owners that the initiative was being funded through a so-called “rain tax” on their water bills.
Turner has been a major proponent of the measure.
Voters will also decide on a firefighter pay parity referendum, which would raise salaries of Houston Firefighters to equal the pay of police officers.
Supporters gathered tens of thousands of signatures and submitted the petition to City Council more than a year ago. The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association then had to sue the city to force it to count the petition. They sued again in July, claiming a special city council meeting to address the issue amounted to illegal electioneering against the measure.
Mayor Turner opposes the referendum, claiming it will cost the city an extra 98-million dollars a year.
The public meetings will start Wednesday, and run from 6:30-7:45pm:
Wednesday, Sept. 5 – District C - Metropolitan Multi-Service Center, 1475 West Gray, 77019
Monday, Sept. 10 – District H – Moody Park, 3725 Fulton, 77009
Wednesday, Sept. 19 – District J – Sharpstown Community Center, 6600 Harbor Town, 77036
Thursday, Sept. 20 – District B – Kashmere MSC, 4802 Lockwood, 77026
Monday, Sept. 24 – District A – Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road, 77055
Wednesday, Oct. 3 – District D – Sunnyside Metropolitan Multi-Service Center, 9314 Cullen, 77051
Thursday, Oct. 4 – District I – EB Cape Center, 4501 Leeland, 77023
Monday, Oct. 8 – District F – Alief Community Center, 11903 Bellaire Blvd., 77072
Wednesday, Oct. 17 – District K – Fountain Life Center, 14083 S. Main, 77035
Thursday, Oct. 18 – District G, Walnut Bend Recreation Center, 10601 Briar Forest, 77042
Early voting starts October 26.