The City of Houston is on track for its largest ever budget deficit, according to Houston City Controller Chris Hollins. This is due to rising costs and the best way to spend taxpayer dollars. Hollins stated that some departments spent more than anticipated this year, with fire's overages alone totalling over $73 million. The mayor's finance department is projecting over $180 million in deficit spending this year. This debate comes ahead of the mayor's office's expected release of the 2027 fiscal year budget.