Finance Department

The mission of the Finance Department is to safeguard the fiscal integrity of the City, its component units, and other dependent entities, and enable other City stakeholders to do the same. We will do this by sustaining and growing a dynamic organization filled with strong people that use rigorous policies, processes, and systems.

Welcome to the Finance Department

The Finance Department's strategic objectives in support of the mission are:

Promote fiscal responsibility
Serve the Administration, City Council, Departments, and Citizens
Improve process execution internally and citywide
Engage staff and provide them the resources they need to get the job done

The Department strives to meet the following core values:

Quality

We strive to provide a high standard of excellence, provide outstanding levels of support and service and sustain a dynamic fiscal structure to ensure that all resources are managed and accounted for in an effective and efficient manner.
Integrity

We commit to be a reliable source of accurate information providing sound fiscal and policy advice, conforming to the highest level of ethical standards.
Leadership

We will maintain a high level of financial expertise to provide directions and solutions that ensure the City's financial strength.
Teamwork

We work together collaboratively and in recognition of the contribution of others and will strive to find practical and effective solutions to achieving desired goals.

Divisions

The responsibilities of the Finance department are distributed among following divisions:

Director's Office (Kelly Dowe, Director)
Administrative Office of City Council (Vernita Jones, Deputy Assistant Director)
Financial Planning and Analysis (Tantri Emo, Deputy Director)
Financial Reporting and Operations (Arif Rasheed, Deputy Director)
Performance Improvement(Jesse Bounds, Deputy Assistant Director)
Strategic Procurement (Maria De Lourdes Coss, Chief Procurement Officer)
Treasury and Capital Management (Jennifer Olenick, Assistant Director)

About the Director

Kelly Dowe has served as the Director of Finance since March 2011. As Director, Kelly is the Chief Financial Officer for the City's Administration. He is responsible for the administration's financial and capital planning, revenue collections, accounting, and debt financing. He previously held the position in Finance of Deputy Director, Financial Planning and Analysis where he led creation of the City of Houston's long range forecast, annual budget, and monthly financial reporting.

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