Baker Briefing: Houston’s Looming Budget Crisis

The city of Houston’s budget is at a tipping point. For five consecutive years, the city outspent its revenues by $100–$200 million each year. With stop-gap options drying up, city officials must plot out a more sustainable plan for the longer term. How did Houston find itself in this budgetary bind, and where must city officials go from here? 

Discussants:

• Edward M. Emmett, Fellow in Energy and Transportation Policy, Baker Institute
• John W. Diamond, Ph.D., Edward A. & Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance, Baker Institute

This conversation was recorded on Nov. 29, 2023.

The associated report, “State of the City’s Finances – A Deep Dive into the Fiscal Issues Facing the City”, was published on Nov. 3, 2023, by John W. Diamond and the Greater Houston Partnership.

About Baker Briefing

Baker Briefing is a podcast that tackles the most critical foreign and domestic policy issues of the day in conversations with experts at the Baker Institute. Hosted by the Honorable David M. Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute, new episodes are released weekly.

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