By: Shelley McKinley Honorable Dr. Carla Wyatt, the first African American elected as the Harris County Treasurer, was voted into the position in November 2022, and began her duties on January 1, 2023. Rounding out her first year of a four-year term, Dr. Wyatt put significant time into connecting with constituents across Harris County during 2024. “One of the things that has changed under my leadership is making more of an effort connect with local residents. This is extremely important because tax payers should have an open line of communication with the individual responsible for moving money for Harris County,” shared Dr. Wyatt. Self-described as “Carla like the hurricane, Wyatt like Earp,” Dr. Wyatt shared a laundry list of things she has accomplished this first year; however, she is equally quick to share the credit with others. “We have successfully launched, with the help of the Commissioners Court and other departments, the ability to compensate individuals who report for jury duty via debit card or a hard copy check. This additional option gives individuals a choice in how they receive their compensation for completing their civic duties,” said Dr, Wyatt. Other accomplishments include creating a foundation for financial literacy education programs, savings and budgeting education, and sharing the importance of finances and mental health. Working with her teammates in the Treasurer’s Office, Harris County residents may have noticed an uptick in personal visits to community centers, schools, libraries and even religious facilities in an effort to encourage people to take an interest in what their dollars are funding. According to Dr. Wyatt, “Local government, public service, outreach and education, combined with heightened financial awareness is my complete and total mission.” Now that the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) has taken over Tx-Tag account management, toll transaction processing, invoicing and payment collection, the expectation is that customers will avoid duplicate fees that they were previously experiencing. The move is also expected to increase efficiency and cut costs to keep tolls low for motorists. The Treasurer’s Office receives and deposits all monies received in the county’s depository bank. “As we take […]

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