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.

Whitmire wants to implement a hiring freeze in the city government. As of September, the city had nearly 5,000 vacant positions.

The mayor told ABC13 that public safety, including Houston's fire and police departments, will be spared, but all other departments will be subject to the hiring freeze.

HOUSTON, Texas – Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced this week that a citywide hiring freeze will be taking place. Whitmire said the decision was made after the Houston City Council commissioned an Ernst & Young spending analysis last year, which “identified key areas for efficiencies and organizational improvement.”

Mayor John Whitmire and Houston First Corporation today unveiled a transformational master plan to reconnect the city's East End with downtown, creating a vibrant, walkable convention and entertainment district unlike anyplace else in the nation.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire is planning to implement a hiring freeze in the coming days that will impact all city departments except fire and police, a city spokesperson confirmed. While an exact timeline has not been decided on,