CITY CONTROLLER

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 2, art. V, div. 2

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-151 Office created.

Sec. 2-151. - Office created. There is hereby created a department of the municipal government of the city to be known as the controller's office, the director of which shall be the city controller. (Code 1968, § 2-108; Ord. No. 05-91, § 3, 1-25-05)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-152 Approval or disapproval of forms and blanks pertaining to accounting system.

Sec. 2-152. - Approval or disapproval of forms and blanks pertaining to accounting system. (a) Forms for books or blanks pertaining to the accounting system of the city must be submitted in duplicate to the city controller before being adopted, printed or used by any departmental officer or person required to render periodical accounts to the city controller. If the city controller approves the form submitted, he shall file one copy in this office and return the other to the proper official, with his approval endorsed thereon. (b) Should the city controller disapprove the form of any blank or book submitted to him, he shall thereupon prepare in his office a form to take the place of the form submitted and forward the same to the proper officer duly approved; provided, however, should the city controller determine that the blank form submitted will be unnecessary to the accounting system of the city, the proper officer shall be duly notified of such decision and such form shall not be adopted, printed or used by the department, officer or person submitting the same. (Code 1968, § 2-110)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-153 Account with chief of police as to fines, etc.

Sec. 2-153. - Account with chief of police as to fines, etc. (a) The city controller shall open an account with the chief of police of the city in which he shall charge the chief of police with all fines assessed in the municipal courts and credit him with all amounts paid on fines and deposited with the tax assessor and collector, together with such allowance on fines as provided for and referred to in chapter 35 of this Code. (b) The city controller shall use, as his authority for the entries in this account, the daily reports furnished him by the clerk of the municipal court and the chief of police. He shall charge the chief of police with the total amount of fines assessed as shown on the report of commitments issued, and shall credit the chief of police with the total amount of fines discharged either by payment of cash or otherwise as shown in the reports of commitments returned. (c) It shall be the duty of the city controller to file with the city council, as early as practicable after the close of each month, a statement which shall show the balance, if any, brought forward at the beginning of the month, the total amount debited to this account and the total amount credited to this account during the month, together with an analysis of any balance shown to be due the city, which shall give the case number, the date of commitment, the name of the defendant and the amount of fines and costs due the city in each of the cases remaining unpaid and represented in the balance due the city as reflected by this account. (Code 1968, § 2-112)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-154 Destruction of documents.

Sec. 2-154. - Destruction of documents. The city controller, subject to the approval of the legal department, is hereby authorized to destroy or cause to be destroyed old vouchers, warrants and checks, representing completed transactions, and still in his possession, after the lapse of 15 years from the date of issuance of such documents. He is also authorized, subject to such approval, to destroy or cause to be destroyed cancelled bonds and interest coupons after the lapse of 15 years from the date of cancellation. (Code 1968, § 2-113)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 2-155 Authority of designated deputy city controller.

Sec. 2-155. - Authority of designated deputy city controller. The city controller shall designate a deputy city controller who, during any temporary absence or incapacity of the city controller, shall act for and on behalf of the city controller and shall possess all of the powers and perform all of the duties of the city controller; provided however, that any such designee shall be bonded as provided in section 2-37 of this Code. (Code 1968, § 2-114; Ord. No. 68-1624, § 1, 10-2-68; Ord. No. 04-1243, § 1, 12-1-04)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH2AD_ARTVFIAF_DIV2CICOFetched: 10/26/2026