Houston City Controller Annise Parker is assuring residents that the city's financial systems are up and running and unaffected by Hurricane Ike. “The Houston City Controller's Office is open for business, the bills are getting paid and oversight of the City's $2 billion of investments and $12 billion of debt continues without interruption,” said Controller Parker. “We stand ready to quickly process any requests for emergency expenses. I expect the majority of our expenses in the wake of Ike will be related to overtime for police and fire staff as well as debris clean up, which is expected to get underway in earnest by the end of the week.”

The city maintains a $20 million rainy day fund to help with unexpected expenses in the aftermath of a hurricane or other emergency situation. Controller Parker filled a leadership role in the creation of this fund when she was a city councilmember. She continues to advocate for a larger emergency fund of about $50 million.

“Although the controller's office staff is on the job, downtown Houston and other areas around the city remain problematic,” Parker said. “Therefore, I urge citizens to continue to heed the directions of Mayor White and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. Residents who need assistance may call the 3-1-1 Citizens Assistance Hotline. 40 operators are there to take your calls.”

he Federal Emergency Management Agency is processing requests for disaster assistance. Residents and business owners can begin the process by registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers are available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) Monday through Sunday until further notice.  Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, and phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.

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