Rift in reporting from Houston's top finance officials grows
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A rift between reporting from the city of Houston's top financial official, appointed by the mayor, and the city's top elected finance official continues to grow.
City Finance Director Melissa Dubowski and City Controller Chris Hollins offered up their routine financial report in front of city council on Wednesday. However, the numbers they've provided in such reports have grown increasingly different in recent weeks.
The city controller's office is now projecting an ending fund balance, essentially the city's savings account, for this fiscal year to be approximately $117 million below the projection the finance department is offering.
The difference can almost entirely be chalked up to how a $100 million payout for a street and drainage lawsuit is being interpreted.
Regardless, several officials expressed concern Wednesday about how low the fund balance is and if the controller's office, which is tasked with conducting audits, is doing enough.
Two council members pressed Hollins on how many audits his office has conducted to date this fiscal year.
"I don't have that number right now. I know the past figures, and I could very quickly get you that number," Hollins told at-large position 1 council member Julian Ramirez.
Records reviewed by ABC13 show the controller's office completed one official audit this fiscal year. Hollins attributes the unusually low figure to short-staffing. He said even if his office were fully staffed, staffing would remain insufficient.
"Fully staffed at 17 (auditors) we are still the lowest-staffed audit division in the state of Texas among the top five cities," Hollins said.
Responding to mounting pressure from the council, the controller's office put out a plan late last week outlining 37 audits they would like to do.
On Wednesday, some council members expressed skepticism regarding the plan's lack of a timeline.
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