The retirement incentive comes on the heels of a hiring freeze. The city faces a more than $330 million projected budget deficit heading into the next fiscal year.

As Houston contends with a $320 million budget deficit heading into the new fiscal year, Mayor John Whitmire plans to offer municipal employees a retirement payout as officials look for ways to cut costs.

Mayor John Whitmire says City of Houston employees should expect citywide restructuring and offered a one-time retirement payout option to eligible employees.

A longtime public servant, Turner served in the Texas House of Representatives for many years before he was elected Houston’s mayor in 2016 and 2020.

Turner, who most recently served as a United States Congressman, died last week at age 70 from enduring health complications. What he left behind was a lasting mark on the state’s largest municipality and a legacy as a Texas lawmaker who consistently pushed boundaries.

Former Houston Mayor and U.S. Representative Sylvester Turner will lie in state in Houston and Austin before his funeral service later this week, according to a March 10 news release.