HOUSTON – With this week’s back and forth between Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Controller Chris Hollins, the question came up: What does a City Controller do?
READ THE BACKGROUND STORIES HERE:
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Here are the basic job responsibilities for Houston’s Controller, straight from the city’s website:
Houston’s Controller is essentially the city’s Chief Financial Officer. Their umbrella responsibility is to make sure Houston’s assets are properly accounted for and spent the right way, meaning the city’s not breaking any laws or violating policies, plans or procedures.
Specifically, the controller performs the following functions, but the scope of the job can also stretch beyond this to-do list:
- Certifies the availability of City funds before the Council approves how the money will be spent.
- Processes and monitors disbursements which total $2.4 billion annually,
- Invests the City’s funds.
- Conducts internal performance, revenue and compliance audits of City departments and federal grant programs.
- Operates and maintains the City’s financial management system.
- Conducts the sale of the City’s public improvement and revenue bonds.
- Produces a comprehensive financial report each year.
The City Controller does not have any voting power, but it is an independent and elected position. The Controller doesn’t report to the Mayor or the City Council.
On the Controller’s website, here’s the reasoning and importance behind the independence:
Being an independent officer permits the Controller to provide the Mayor, City Council and department management with independent analysis, appraisals, and recommendations concerning the adequacy and effectiveness of the City’s internal control structure, effective safeguarding and utilization of City resources and management’s performance in carrying out assigned responsibilities.