Houston City Council member Edward Pollard is demanding accountability as nearly 350 of the 1,000 city workers who took early retirement buyouts are still waiting for their pension payments months after they were promised. The buyout program, launched to help close a $330 million budget shortfall, offered lump-sum payouts of 25% of annual salary to eligible employees. The employees were promised the payments within 60 days of their May 1 retirement. Pollard has expressed growing concern over the city's handling of the program, and wants a timeline from Mayor John Whitmire’s administration on when the retirees will be paid. He questioned the mayor during an Aug. 27 city council meeting.