Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Wednesday announced the city is implementing a citywide hiring freeze beginning this week, as first reported by ABC 13's Shannon Ryan. The mayor's office said the decision stems from an Ernst & Young report that the City of Houston commissioned to figure out how to eliminate waste amid a budget shortfall of about $350 million.

I’ve lost a personal friend,” a somber Mayor John Whitmire said before the City Council. “No one will be able to step into Sylvester’s shoes and carry on his duties because there’s only one Sylvester Turner.