Houston City Council member proposes requiring companies to offer better pay to get tax relief

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston City Council members are expected to vote on amendments to the city’s property tax abatement rules.

Council Member Alejandra Salinas’s proposed changes focus on pay and benefits for workers in the Houston community.

“One, it’s going to require higher minimum wage floors tied to city wages. It will require prevailing wages for construction workers. It’s going to require workers’ compensation for construction workers. It will require health insurance benefits for project employees. It’s going to prohibit contractors with a documented record of substantial wage theft or OSHA violations, and it’s going to strengthen the apprenticeship utilization program,” Council Member Salinas said.

Salinas said the changes will improve quality of life for Houstonians.

“Our office and I are focused on everything that the city does. We do it through the lens of how we help all Houstonians. We don’t just allow a few to benefit, but the benefit is felt by the entire city, and this is a way to leverage our power without costing the taxpayers a dollar more,” Salinas said.

The tax abatement program is not a drop in the bucket. Houston paid $1.6 million in tax abatements to companies in 2025, according to the Houston Controller’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

Salinas told ABC13 that tax abatement is an important and powerful tool to bring about change.

Houston’s City Council is expected to take up the amendments for consideration this month.

Will the potential changes work?

ABC13’s partners at the Houston Chronicle spoke with UT Austin government professor Nathan Jensen, who said, “This is still a very broad policy that allows for tremendous discretion on who gets incentives and who doesn’t.”

“These are stringent requirements that a company will have to meet in order to receive the benefits. So, if they fail to satisfy the benefit, the city will have every right to remedy the issue,” Salinas said.

Salinas told ABC13 that she believes her amendments will pass when they come to a vote and, if they do, the changes will be implemented soon after.

Copyright © 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.