Two Houston City Council members are proposing amending the fiscal year 2026-27 budget to include $3 million to address illegal dumping.
What it means
Council members Alejandra Salinas and Tarsha Jackson announced the amendment May 28 and said it would go toward cleanup, prevention and enforcement across “chronic” dump sites in the city.
In a news release, Salinas said the city received almost 9,000 complaints to 311 about illegal dumping over the past year, but there was no money going toward the problem in the upcoming budget.
“Illegal dumping is a serious public health, drainage, safety and quality-of-life issue, and this amendment puts dedicated resources behind a solution,” Salinas said in the release. “Residents have filed thousands of complaints, community leaders are calling for action and the city’s own study identified the critical need.”
Salinas added that the amendment is backed by community members and is an investment in preventing illegal dumping.
Some background
If approved, funding would transfer $3 million from a $37.5 million allocation for Houston Public Works management consulting services. Funding would go toward:
- Additional solid waste workers
- Equipment and roll-off dumpster services
- More access to legal disposal sites
- CCTV cameras and signage at chronic dump sites
- Cleanup
- Enforcement support
- Education on legal disposal options
Salinas added that the $3 million amendment aligns with the city’s Solid Waste Study, which identified approximately $2.9 million as the FY2026-27 revenue requirement needed to address illegal dumping.
One more thing
The amendment will be voted on as part of City Council’s FY 2026-27 budget process June 10.
