Houston, TX - The Gene Locke for Mayor campaign today called out Annise Parker for her pattern of irresponsible spending during her years at City Hall. As a City Hall insider, Parker’s poor spending decisions have included: supporting new and increased fees, opposing city budget cuts and even giving herself a raise.

Although Parker purports to be fiscally responsible, she actually increased the city budget during her tenure as a member of City Council. Parker also increased the budget in the Office of the City Controller, and supported increasing her own salary. Parker has demonstrated time and time again that she is not concerned about the pocketbooks of Houstonians. In fact, the city budget has increased by over $800,000,000 while Parker has had her own parking space at City Hall.

In 2002, Parker nearly cost the City of Houston one million dollars in an effort to promote herself as the appointee for the Office of the City Controller. She did this despite the fact that it would actually cost the city to run a special election to fill her unexpired council seat. After Parker’s fellow council members criticized her for her blatant attempt at self-promotion, and disregard of taxpayer dollars, Parker chose to forego her plans.

“There is example after example of Annise Parker on a spending spree with Houstonians’ hard earned money,” said Kim Devlin, senior advisor for Locke for Mayor. “Far from being the watchdog over the city’s finances, Parker has actually spent over a decade imprudently spending taxpayers’ money. If you combine Parker’s positions on spending with her track record of tax increases, you have a candidate who has never represented the taxpayer’s best interests.”

THE FACTS ON ANNISE PARKER’S SPENDING SPREE

• Parker’s Office Budget Has Increased by 29 Percent. Since entering the City Controller’s office, Parker has increased that budget by 29 percent. (Houston City Controller’s Office)
  
  

  Year	Proposed	Actual
  FY 2005	$5,902,290	$5,959,410
  FY 2006	$6,053,800	$5,860,354
  FY 2007	$6,346,675	$6,126,961
  FY 2008	$6,711,029	$6,741,490
  FY 2009	$7,396,161	$7,396,161
  FY 2010	$7,684,414	$7,684,414

  
  
• Parker Increased Pay to Executives by 8 Percent. From FY 2005 to FY 2009, the controller’s executive office budget increased by $36,734, or 8 percent. (Houston City Controller’s Office)
  
  
• Parker Accepted $13,942 Pay Raise. In January 2004, Parker accepted a 12% pay increase. The raise increased Parker’s salary by $13,942, for a total salary of $124,486. (Houston Chronicle, 1/15/2004, 1/16/2004)
  
  
• Parker Voted for New and Increased Fees. As a member of City Council, Parker voted for more than 70 new fees or fee increases as part of the FY 2003 budget. (Houston Chronicle, 6/20/2002)
  
  
• Parker Opposed a 1-percent Budget Reduction for City Departments. As a City Council member, Parker voted against reducing departmental budgets by 1-percent with the exception of Police, Fire, and Solid Waste. (Council Minutes, Oct. 9, 2000)
  
  
• Parker Opposed 15-percent Reduction for City Council Budgets. As a City Council member, Parker opposed an across the board reduction for Council budgets. (Council Minutes, Jun. 23, 1998)
  
  
• Parker Opposed Freezing Council Budgets. On. Jun. 23, 1998, Annise Parker voted against an amendment to the FY 99 Budget to freeze the City Council budget at its FY 98 level. (Council Minutes, Jun. 23, 1998)
  
  
• Sought Appointment as City Controller Despite $1,000,000 Cost to Taxpayers. Parker sought appointment to become City Controller in 2002 even though a special election to fill her City Council seat would have cost taxpayers almost $1,000,000. A number of her fellow city council members said Parker did not have the fiscal sense for the job:
  
  Former Councilman Carroll Robinson: “Putting yourself out there and not having the votes of council is not a win-win situation. If seven of your colleagues don't have the confidence to vote for you, why should taxpayers?"
  
  Former Councilman Bert Keller said Parker cared more about her relationship with the mayor than being a fiscal conservative: “Annise is close with the administration, and she's proven with her votes that even when she philosophically knows it's not the best thing for fiscal conservancy, she sides with the mayor.” (Houston Chronicle, 12/10/2002)
  
  
• City Budget Increased by Over $800,000,000 During Parker’s Time in Office. Since Parker joined City Government, the city budget has increased by $861,484,715, an increase of 69%. (City of Houston Budget)


• City Budget Increased by 21 Percent During Parker’s Council Tenure. During Annise Parker’s tenure on the city council, Houston’s budget increased by 21 percent. Ms. Parker voted for every single budget. (Houston City Secretary)
  
  

  Year	General Fund Budget
  FY 1999	$1,249,210,130
  FY 2000	$1,331,774,299
  FY 2001	$1,338,799,958
  FY 2002	$1,454,761,368
  FY 2003	$1,512,857,302
  % Increase	$ Change total
  21%	$263,647,172

  
  
  City Budget Has Increased by 35 Percent During Parker’s Controller Tenure. During Annise Parker’s tenure as city controller, Houston’s budget has increased by 35 percent. The city has not had any tax increases over this period. (Houston City Secretary)
  
  
  

  Year	General Fund Budget
  FY 2005	$1,565,544,400
  FY 2006	$1,690,656,052
  FY 2007	$1,811,423,623
  FY 2008	$1,990,523,359
  FY 2009	$2,131,119,680
  FY 2010	$2,110,694,845
  % Change	$ Change Increase
  35%	$545,150,445

  
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