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Gov Tech Firm HdL Companies Spreads Its Wings in Texas

Through a new partnership, HdL aims to help local governments in populous North Texas create innovative tools for financial and revenue management. The move comes as those agencies await federal infrastructure money.

Closeup of the Capitol building in Austin, Texas.
Shutterstock/CrackerClips Stock Media
Gov tech provider HdL Companies has signed a partnership deal in Texas designed to help local governments there gain a better grasp on financial and other trends, especially as those agencies await potential grants from a national infrastructure bill.

The vendor sells revenue enhancement, technology and consulting services to cities, counties and special districts. HdL clients use its software and other tools to better track and collect revenue, among other tasks.

The new partnership is with the North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA), a regional consortium that describes itself on its website as “a leader in implementing integrated smart cities efforts that cross geographic boundaries.”

The guiding idea for that group — made up of some of the biggest forces in government and economic development in a region with more than 7.5 million people — involves using data and technology to help public agencies deliver better services via innovation.

“A core element to our cities, like many around the state and country, is ways to streamline processes, recover costs, generate revenue and better leverage data analytics,” said Jennifer Sanders, NTXIA co-founder, in an email exchange with Government Technology. “The insight and expertise that HdL has developed over its history brings a fresh approach that many of our members hadn't previously considered.”

More specifically, this new partnership has HdL joining with nearly 36 city, county, agency, economic development, academic and private-sector members to work on efforts that include fresh approaches to financial models and revenue generation, NTXIA said.

The tech-and-services firm will provide data insights and advice about such areas as taxes, economic development and cost recovery — work that could especially help smaller and mid-size cities with limited budgets, according to Sanders.

“With federal funds not seen in our lifetime being put into motion, the need to be strategic, bold and prudent is paramount,” she said. “Counsel on highest and best utilization of these funds and setting the right indirect cost structure is invaluable in maximizing the impact recent and future investments can have to our residents.”

Founded in 1983, HdL serves some 500 local governments.

“We are excited to partner with such a forward-thinking group. We are confident we can provide access to economic trend information, data analytics and reporting that will allow local governments to maximize their revenue streams,” said Richard Fletcher, the company’s VP of operations and client services, in a statement.

Members of the North Texas Innovation Alliance include such cities and organizations as Allen, Arlington, Dallas, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Garland, Irving, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, McKinney and Plano.
Thad Rueter writes about the business of government technology. He covered local and state governments for newspapers in the Chicago area and Florida, as well as e-commerce, digital payments and related topics for various publications. He lives in Wisconsin.