Budgets: Houston, Vancouver USA

 

The FY 2018 Operating and Capital Budget approved earlier this month by Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority anticipates the port’s strong financial performance will continue. 

 

Port Houston projects total revenue growing 9.0 percent over the 2017 mid-year forecast, fueled by container cargo. At the end of October, container volume for the calendar year exceeded 2.0 million TEUs and is expected to reach 2.4 million. The port first crossed the 2.0-million TEU threshold in December of CY 2015.

 

New resin production along the Houston Ship Channel is anticipated to ramp up in 2018. Operating cash flow will help fund the 2018 capital budget of $275 million. 

 

The 2018 capital improvement program includes strategic project investments supporting new growth opportunities, recapitalization projects to help sustain high service and enhance productivity levels, and channel development projects for development at container terminals and dredged area material program. 

 

At that same meeting, the Port Commission authorized an increase to Tariff Nos. 8, 14, and 15, effective January 1, 2018. The tariff increase will be at an amount equal to the change in the Consumer Price Index average for a 12-month period ending October. 

 

 

The Port of Vancouver USA Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the port’s tax levy and 2018 budget at its regularly scheduled meeting on November 14.

 

The commission voted to hold the port levy steady for the sixth year in a row, meaning annual taxes on a $324,000 home – the median price in Clark County – will be approximately $98 in 2018.

 

At $68.5 million, the port’s 2018 budget is $16.7 million less than its 2017 budget. The decrease is primarily due to the completion of major components of the port’s West Vancouver Freight Access (WVFA) project and Centennial Industrial Building.

 

Budget highlights:

• $38.22 million in operating revenues, an increase of 3.0 percent from the estimated 2017 operating revenues.
• 70 percent of the 2018 operating revenue is from marine, terminal and rail operations and the remainder from industrial property leases, rail and facilities.
• 22 percent of the port’s capital budget is allocated for the completion of the WVFA project. 36 percent is allocated for maintaining port infrastructure and IT systems. The remainder is allocated to various waterfront, facility and terminal improvements. 

Visit the port’s budget Web page to learn more about the 2018 budget, the budgeting process, and how tax dollars are invested in the community.