City Council budget workshops often turn into early  skirmishes over budget cuts.  If anyone doubted that the recession has finally hit Houston city government, I invite them to watch the public series of departmental budget workshops in City Council chambers. The mayor’s budget is normally approved by July 1 when the budget year begins. 
Several council members are already expressing discomfort with budget tightening in the Houston Police Department.  Two proposed cuts  are causing the most pain:
One less police cadet class in a city everyone agrees provides too few officers and delays in filling 22  Neighborhood Protection inspector  vacancies.

Police cadet classes
Council members spent three hours May 28 discussing  the city’s largest departmental budget, HPD’s proposed $674 million budget. It seems like an enormous amount of money until you break it down: Salary and benefits for  almost 5,300 police officers and about 1,500 civilians (94% of budget); Facility operations; Vehicles and vehicle maintenance; Fuel; Overtime (cut in half to $11 million because of cadet classes).

Supplies and equipment
Because of aggressive recruiting (including $12,000 signing bonuses ending June 30)   and more cadet classes  HPD has added 666 officers in the past four years.  Still, Chief Harold Hurtt and several council members agree with studies indicating HPD is at least 1,600 officers short, or  at least 72% of optimal staffing, compared to other cities. As Council Member M.J. Kahn explained,  recession means easier recruiting and an increase in crime.
He certainly favors one more cadet class, costing about $521,000,  to make three classes in FY10.   With only two cadet classes, HPD will gain only about 50 actual officers. When overtime is included, HPD will actually lose the equivalent of 115 officers.
Two council members pressed Chief Hurtt about response times in areas not lucky enough to fund additional officers with TIRZ funds.  The chief assured them  that the remaining $11 million budgeted for overtime would be spent largely in neighborhoods without TIRZs.

Neighborhood Protection Inspectors
Echoing sentiments expressed the day before by District A Council Member Toni Lawrence,  District B Council Member Jarvis Johnson quickly pointed out that the budget shows only 48 of 70 Neighborhood Protection inspector positions filled. As you may know, this vital HPD division  enforces municipal citations for abandoned and dangerous buildings  and weedy lots  that create blight and crime.  Chief Hurtt explained that the vacancies would be first in line to be filled when other civilians, such as clerks or secretaries, leave the department.
Whether that’s fast enough for most council members will be decided when they vote on budget amendments. Chief Hurtt said he actually would like to see  a stronger Neighborhood Protection division  with its own equipment so it could clear abandoned houses itself. The entire proposed budget is available online at: www.houstontx.gov/budget/10budprop/index.html

Budget 101
One of the mayor’s responsibilities is to present an annual budget to council. The City Controller’s Office does not produce the budget.  We do, however, review it and attempt to advise council on issues or areas of concern.
The Controller’s Office also certifies that it is balanced and complies with recent charter amendments limiting revenue increases. Finally,  our office produces its own income projections and provides independent analysis of certain budget trends in a report presented shortly after the mayor’s budget reaches council. A good introduction to the budget can be found in the executive summary that the Finance and Administration director and the city controller present to council each month.
The full document is called the Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR). MFORs and the Trends Report are available on the City Controllers’ webpage: www.houstontx.gov/controller/index.html
 In a budget as complicated as Houston’s, it’s very difficult to get a concise summary. In very broad terms, the budget is divided by types of income, and within those income categories by general areas of expenditures. Most people focus on the General Fund (tax-supported income). The other major income categories are the four enterprise funds (Aviation, Convention Facilities, Combined Utilities and Parking Management), Special Revenue Funds and Debt.
Within the General Fund, the departments are grouped together by expenditure function, such as Public Safety, which includes Police, Fire, Municipal Court and the Houston Emergency Center.  It’s a complicated budget, prompting numerous questions from council members. And in these tough economic times, it’s already proving to be perhaps the most challenging task facing elected officials.
Annise Parker is City Controller. She is currently running for mayor of Houston.