Did someone say Six BILLION dollars?

With so much focus on financial health, personal and government, we need to understand the  decisions that impact our every day life. Unraveling the complex and often mysterious questions of how our cities...in this case, The City of Houston, gets its money, where does it go, how does it fund city services, pensions, etc....let's go directly to the person who understand the flow of finances and has to ask difficult questions of those requesting money. 

WHAT DOES THE CITY CONTROLLER DO?
"_{The City Controller serves as the City's chief financial officer. The Office of the City Controller certifies the availability of funds prior to City Council approval of City commitments, processes and monitors disbursements exceeding one billion dollars annually, invests the City's funds, conducts internal audits of the City's departments and federal grant programs, operates and maintains its financial management system, conducts the sale of public improvement and revenue bonds and produces a comprehensive annual report of City finances (CAFR)"}

WHO IS OUR CITY CONTROLLER?

Chris Hollins is a native Houstonian who has served as Houston City Controller since January 2024.  As the independently elected Chief Financial Officer of the nation’s fourth-largest city, Controller Hollins provides oversight of a budget exceeding $6 billion and manages the City’s $6 billion investment and $14 billion debt portfolios.  Hollins is deeply committed to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and results-driven operations, using his office’s auditing authority to bring new ideas and best practices to City departments that result in cost savings and a higher standard of service to Houston residents.
 
Prior to his service as City Controller, Hollins led the 2020 elections effort in Harris County as County Clerk, gaining national acclaim for protecting and expanding voting rights for 2.5 million Houston-area voters during the most important election of our lifetime. Hollins’s innovations – which included drive-thru voting, 24-hour voting, online mail ballot tracking, and tripling the number of early voting centers – led to eye-popping record voter turnout despite the ongoing global pandemic.

Hollins holds a Bachelor of Arts with Phi Beta Kappa honors from Morehouse College and completed a joint program with Yale Law School and Harvard Business School, earning both his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees. 

Hollins is admitted to the State Bar of Texas and Federal Courts for the Southern District of Texas. Before being elected Houston City Controller, he was the Principal Attorney at Hollins Law Group PLLC.  Hollins spent the bulk of his career as a management consultant where he was dedicated to helping large government agencies transform their operations to better achieve their missions and meet the needs of those they were entrusted to serve. 

Hollins and his wife, Morgan, live in Houston’s Third Ward with their daughter, Vivian, and their son, George.  The Hollins family attends Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.

Join Virtually ---> October 17, 2024