HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Less than 24 hours after a controversial Equal Rights Ordinance was passed by Houston City Council, efforts to repeal it are already underway.



Houston city leaders at City Hall are already focused on the impending budget battle. But the controversy over the non-discrimination ordinance isn't going away, and you could very well vote on it this November.



There was unbridled joy expressed by supporters Wednesday night when Houston passed its non-discrimination ordinance. But if opponents have their way, that happiness will be short lived.



"We're definitely not haters, we're not discriminators. But this is the issue, there are already laws to protect them in state level, federal level," said Pastor Hernan Costano with the Rios de Aceite Church.



Castano and several other local pastors want to repeal the ordinance. The group has already brought out protesters at City Hall and now it has a website called No Unequal Rights. Their goal is to collect 17,000 signatures within the next 30 days and put a repeal on the November ballot.



"Signatures are very easy," Eyewitness News political analyst Dr. Richard Murray said.



Murray says the group will probably succeed in putting it on the ballot, and Mayor Annise Parker's admission that the ordinance affects her personally, probably helped her opponents.



"Generally in politics, it's not a good idea to say this is about me; it's a good idea to say this is about everybody," Murray said.



But Parker says she's ready for a fight.



"They may very well get their signatures. The city of Houston will not vote for discrimination," she said.



As for City Council members who spent months debating the issue, at least one who voted against the ordinance says he's not eager to refight the divisive battle again.



"The vote was decided yesterday, I'm ready to move on, we have bigger issues we need to face," Houston City Councilman David Martin said.