Unconventional record-keeping
highlights convention bureau audit
While auditors praised the Great Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GHVCB) for winning awards and major events, the city/county-funded bureau got low marks for accounting procedures, relations with the convention center and staff morale.
"The bureau does an outstanding job of attracting events, but it definitely needs to run a much tighter ship," City Controller Annise Parker said.
GHVCB is funded primarily by the city's hotel/motel occupancy tax (HOT) tax, which accounts for 89% of the bureau's $12 million
annual budget. The county contributes almost $800,000, and the bureau raises the remainder from 1,000 memberships, co-op advertising and in-kind contributions. The Houston Image Group, the international marketing arm, receives $550,000 from the Houston Airport System.
Budget adjusts for tax rollback
The Controller's Office has reduced its property tax projection for the current fiscal year by $8 million, in anticipation of a property tax rollback to comply with Proposition 1.
That voter-approved proposition requires that city property tax revenues not increase more than the combined growth of population and inflation, or 4.5%. City Council is expected to vote to lower the 65-cent tax rate again in late October, affecting 2007 taxes. City Controller Annise Parker delivered the news during the latest monthly financial and operating report (MFOR), which covers the period ending July 31, 2006.
Original property tax projections used various sources to estimate current population. However, recently released census figures are lower than anticipated.
"Neither our numbers nor the census estimate take into account the influx of Katrina evacuees," the controller noted. "But we believe the census has seriously undercounted our population."
The controller said she supports the city's appeal for a more accurate number. Until then, the city must use the lower estimate. One figure that has to take evacuees into account is the robust sales tax number, which keeps delighting city officials. Projections are up another $6 million.
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Money Matters show goes batty
If you walk along Buffalo Bayou near the Waugh bridge at dusk, you might spot company overhead. A squadron of small mosquito-eaters takes off this time every night. The Mexican free-tailed bats, possibly as many as 250,000, nest year round under the Waugh bridge over Buffalo Bayou.
Of course, some people hope the little bats will stir up big tourist business and do for Houston what Austin's colony did for the state capitol.
Money Matters, the city controller's monthly TV show, tracks down the stars of the city's newest tourist attraction while touring on a Buffalo Bayou Partnership pontoon boat. Tune in at 2 and 8 a.m. and 2 and 8 p.m. Mondays on the Municipal Channel (Warner Cable 16, Kingwood 14, TCI 16, Phonoscope 2 and TvMax 20).
For more information about bayou boat tours or the Waugh Drive bat colony, see www.buffalobayou.org or call (713) 752-0314 ext. 3
Katrina expenses top $270 million
As the city's formal commitment to help Hurriance Katrina evacuees winds down, the city is still negotiating with FEMA for about $1 million in expenses originally rejected by FEMA. The city also expects to get another $11 million for rent vouchers the city has already paid.
"Controller's office employees need to be commended for extremely hard work this past year processing rent and utility vouchers for evacuees while we were also converting to a citywide new financial system," City Controller Annise Parker said.
So far, FEMA has reimbursed the city about $270 million, mostly for rent vouchers for 34,630 housing units. The remaining $1 million in expenses includes:
- $928,000 - Finance and Administration Department professional services;
- $106,000 - City Controller's Office overtime;
- $35,000 - Building Services Department overtime.
Three-quarters of the original 34,460 housing unit vouchers have been transferred to the FEMA direct payment plan. Almost 4,000 heads of households have left Houston. The city will pay 2,792 rental unit vouchers through August 31 and 1,031 vouchers through September 30 before they are transferred to the FEMA direct payment plan.
Too often we turn on the local news and see what the city's doing wrong. I'd like to applaud a highly successful public-private partnership that's improving the lives of many Houston children.
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City Controller's Perspective ____
You may have read that Houston's immunization rate improved dramatically this year, up almost 15 percentage points to 76.6%, the most dramatic improvement o
f any state or city. The annual CDC survey measures the percentage of children under three who have received the 15 recommended shots. Historically, Houston has ranked near the bottom of the survey; this year Houston ranks 37 out of 76 surveys.
Several years ago, the city Health and Human Services Department enlisted area hospitals, physicians, schools and day care centers to tackle the problem. The task force greatly increased the use of immunization registries, enrolled health care providers in the Vaccines
for Children program to provide vaccines for physicians for their uninsured and under- insured patients and promoted reminder/recall services for parents
"The immunization time clock starts over with every birth in Houston. We are not as high as we hope to be, but it feels much better being above average than near the bottom," says Health Director Stephen Williams.
With the highly capable Williams as Health Department director, the program can only improve. It's heartening to watch the department rebound so strongly from so many cutbacks during lean budget years.