07-23-12 Fiscal Affairs Committee

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I. POLICY It is the policy of the City of La Porte, Texas (the "City") to administer and invest its funds in a manner which will preserve the principal and maintain the liquidity through limitations and diversification while meeting the daily cash flow requirements of the City. The City will invest all available funds in conformance with legal and administrative guidelines, seeking to optimize interest earnings to the maximum extent possible. The purpose of this investment policy is to comply with all statutes governing the investment of the City's funds, including the Public Funds Investment Act, Chapter 2256 of the Texas Government Code (the " Act"), which requires the City to adopt a written investment policy regarding the investment of its funds and funds under its control. The Investment Policy addresses the methods, procedures and practices that must be exercised to ensure effective and judicious fiscal management of the City's funds. II. SCOPE The City will strive to earn a return on funds invested at the highest investment return possible after taking in consideration the primary goals of preservation of principal and liquidity of funds invested, consistent with the policy objectives described below. This investment policy applies to the investment activities of the government of the City of La Porte, Texas. FUNDS INCLUDED The City's funds, which are pooled together and constitute the investment portfolio, include all financial assets of all funds managed by the City, including but not limited to receipts of tax revenues, charges for services, bond proceeds, interest incomes, loans and funds received by the City where the City performs a custodial function. These funds are accounted for in the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and include: General Fund Special Revenue Funds Debt Service Funds Capital Projects Funds Enterprise Funds Internal Service Funds Investment income will be allocated to the various funds based on their respective participation and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. III. OBJECTIVES SAFETY The primary objective of the City's investment activity is the preservation of capital and the protection of investment principal in the overall portfolio. Each investment transaction shall seek first to ensure that capital losses are avoided, whether they are from securities defaults or erosion of market value. The City will strive to minimize credit risk by limiting investments to the safest types of investments, prequalifying the financial institutions and broker/dealers with which the City conducts business, and diversify the investment portfolio so that potential losses on individual issuers will be minimized. To minimize interest rate risk, the City will ladder the portfolio and match investments with future cash requirements and invest operating funds in shorter, more liquid securities and investments.