As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the city of Friendswood is monitoring its financial situation, Director of Administrative Services Katina Hampton said.
The city is not overly concerned about how the virus will affect the budget at this time; however, there are still a lot of unknowns right now, Hampton said. For example, there is a two-month lag between when sales tax money is collected from businesses and when the state administers it to cities, meaning Friendswood has not yet received sales tax money for March or April, she said.
The city is also tracking what it has spent on COVID-19 supplies in case reimbursement is available. However, the city has not had to spend much so far, Hampton said.
Friendswood is also in the early stages of planning for next fiscal year’s budget, though there is still a lot unknown about how long the effects of the virus will last, Hampton said. She said by September the city hopes to have a better idea of how the virus will affect the next budget.
