Hire Houston First Program—Responsibilities and enforcement.

Houston Code of Ordinances § 15-180

in effect

Sec. 15-180. - Hire Houston First Program—Responsibilities and enforcement. (a) The Mayor's Office for Business Opportunities (MOBO) shall be responsible for establishing the documentation necessary to establish a principal place of business in the city or local area. Any entity claiming to be a local business shall submit to the city a form promulgated by the MOBO, attested to by a duly authorized representative of the business. The MOBO shall make the final determination as to whether a business is a local business. (b) Department directors shall maintain written records of all departmental actions under this program. Departments are charged with primary responsibility for monitoring their contracts for compliance with the program. (c) The contracting or evaluating department shall award additional points to a local business in any bid based on a "best value" evaluation. (d) The strategic purchasing division ("SPD") and MOBO, in consultation with the legal department, are directed to provide written guidance, including guidance on best value bids, to departments for implementing this article. Such guidance shall include a preference structure that grants the highest number of points to a city business, the next higher number of points to a local business, and no points to a business located outside of the city or local area. (e) The submission of a form pursuant to subsection (a) above found to contain false information is grounds for debarment per section 15-103(1)(c) of this Code. (f) The MOBO shall produce semi-annual reports, commencing July 1, 2012, summarizing the dollar amount of procurements awarded to city businesses and local businesses under this program. (Ord. No. 2013-428, § 10(Exh. A), 5-8-2013, eff. 7-1-2013)

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_CH15CO_ARTXIHIHOFI_S15-180HIHOFIPRESENFetched: 10/26/2026