HOUSTON — Houston’s city-wide hiring freeze will go into effect Monday, March 10, according to city officials.
The decision comes in response to findings from an audit conducted by accounting firm Ernst and Young.
The audit revealed that Houston employs more people per capita than any other major city in the country. It also found that 40 percent of supervisors oversee three or fewer employees.
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Mayor John Whitmire said he believes a hiring freeze is an opportunity to cut expenses and ensure that personnel needs are reassessed to benefit the organization and taxpayers.
Despite the freeze, Mayor Whitmire expects the measure will enhance city services rather than diminish them.
“Some of the departments need better services. Our solid waste, our garbage pickup. We believe the savings from this will allow us to improve public services,” Whitmire told KHOU 11.
The mayor said that public safety departments, including police and fire, will be exempt from the hiring freeze.
“Houston has many great, hardworking employees, but the efficiency study indicated that there are too many for an organization the size of the city,” city officials said.