What does the City Controller of Houston do?

HOUSTON – During the back and forth between Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Controller Chris Hollins this week, the question came up: What does a city manager do?

READ THE BACK STORIES HERE:

‘A giant nothing burger’: Controller Chris Hollins responds after Houston mayor accuses him of ‘pay-to-play’ conflict

‘I’m Disappointed:’ Houston Mayor John Whitmire Calls Controller Chris Hollins Over Alleged Pay-to-Play Conflicts

Will the Houston Ethics Commission investigate “pay-to-play” allegations against the city controller?

Here are the basic responsibilities of Houston’s controller, straight from the city’s website:

Houston’s controller is essentially the city’s chief financial officer. Your primary responsibility is to ensure that Houston’s assets are properly accounted for and properly spent. This means the city will not break any laws or violate any policies, plans or procedures.

Specifically, the controller takes on the following tasks, but the scope of tasks can also go beyond this to-do list:

• Confirms the availability of city funds before the council approves how the money will be spent.

• Processes and monitors payouts totaling $2.4 billion annually.

• Invests the city’s resources.

• 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.

• Prepares a comprehensive financial report each year.

The city manager does not have voting rights, but is an independent and elected office. The controller does not report to the mayor or the city council.

On the controller’s website you can find the reasons and meaning of independence here:

As an independent official, the Controller may provide the Mayor, City Council, and department leadership with independent analysis, assessments, and recommendations regarding the adequacy and effectiveness of the City’s internal control structure, the effective safeguarding and use of the City’s resources, and the performance of management in carrying out assigned responsibilities .