Priorities

Your financial watchdog at City Hall.

The city has taken significant financial steps forward over the past three years. From achieving historic pension reform, to addressing the financial challenges left Hurricane Harvey’s wake, to working toward achieving a structurally balanced budget; the progress we’ve made is tangible.

Despite this progress, the city still faces significant financial challenges that threaten its long-term stability. As your City Controller, Chris Brown will continue to fight for Houstonians, their hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and our collective financial future. 

His priorities as City Controller are:

• Achieving a Structurally Balanced Budget. The city’s financial issues are rooted in the continued adoption of structurally imbalanced budget. In order to achieve a structurally balanced budget, the city must end the practice of deferring payments to future fiscal years, avoid selling assets to fill budget holes, explore ways to find new, sustainable revenue streams without placing an additional burden on the taxpayers, and reduce government waste, fraud, and inefficiencies. As Controller, Chris Brown will continue to lead on this critical initiative. 

• Protecting Your Taxpayer Dollars. Since being sworn in as Controller in 2016, Chris Brown’s office has helped save taxpayers nearly $250 million via debt refinancing, audits, and increased efficiencies. As the elected Controller, Chris Brown will continue to be your dedicated taxpayer watchdog, and will aggressively pursue savings and efficiencies that will help create a city government that is a better steward of your hard-earned taxpayer dollars.
  

• Funding the City's Priorities. Budgets are tight and every dollar counts. The city must better define its priorities and ensure that those priorities align with those of city taxpayers. The city's priorities must include effectively funding public safety, essential city services, the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Harvey, and investment in infrastructure that will put the city in a better position to address the challenges of tomorrow. 

• Protecting the City’s Taxpayers and Employees. The City of Houston's most valuable asset is its people, and we must do a better job of protecting those assets. That means continuing to fight for the health care benefits of city employees, solidifying the positive implications of Houston's pension reform, and continuing to be outspoken on the issues that affect the taxpayer's wallet. As he has done since elected, Controller Brown will continue to ensure that the city is upholding its responsibility of sound fiscal stewardship, protecting the best interests of its taxpayers, and taking care of its hard-working municipal employees.