A feud over Mayor John Whitmire’s financial advisor for financial integrity that has lasted months spilled onto the City Council floor this week, fueled by sharp accusations about his remote work hours and compensation.
During the city council meeting, Brown asserted that he was hired for his expertise and to act as a “watchdog for taxpayers”.
“My current role is remote and directive-based,” said Brown, upon being pressed on his responsibilities. “I perform work assigned to me and appear when asked, as I have today.”
The controversy stemmed from a Houston Chronicle article that said Chris Brown, the advisor and controller from 2016 until 2023, had badged into city facilities for only 13 days and sent 12 emails from his official account since he joined Whitmire’s office in January 2024.
During this time, Brown earned a $127,000 annual salary.
After the article’s publication, Chris Hollins called for a formal investigation into Brown. His investigation sought answers to whether city policies were followed and if Brown’s were properly performed and documented. It also aimed to find if his duties and work hours justified his taxpayer-funded salary.
Brown defends himself
Brown touted a list of pre-Whitmire achievements during his tenure as the former controller and the current financial advisor. Brown, who had served as the deputy controller for six years and controller for two terms (eight years), said his three decades of experience in the financial sector led to “measurable differences” for Houston.
“I’m sorry you’re still under attack unnecessarily. I know for a fact that you do much more than any 15 hours…and it’s quite frankly misrepresenting your total value.”
John Whitmire, Mayor of the City of Houston
He said Hollins’ audit division has grown from about $1.2 million and nine auditors from Brown’s time to as much as $2.9 million and 16 positions. By Brown’s count, Hollins’ office completed 16 audits over a comparable 33-month stretch, versus 27 in his tenure.
“This is what it means to be a watchdog for the taxpayers…I share these not to embarrass anyone, but because they reflect what I believe to be the honest, consistent record recognized in writing by the very office that now questions my value,” said Brown, referring to Hollins’ allegations.
Council members press Brown on work ethics
But some council members were not swayed by Brown’s presentation, pressing him on his duties and work hours.
“Frankly, you should be embarrassed,” said Council member Alejandra Salinas. “The fact that you would come up here and not address a single one of those accusations…is a huge red flag.”
Salinas went on to ask Brown how many hours he has worked for the city, while earning a six-figure salary, to which he said it ranges from 15 hours a week (prior to the Chronicle investigation) to 50-60 hours on others.
“Everyone on this horseshoe makes less than half of what you make,” Salinas said. “You make far more than almost every single city council staffer who works far more time.”
Brown, in response to her comments, listed his MBA in finance, 30 years of work experience, ownership of a brokerage firm, investment in a hedge fund, and more than a decade in the controller’s office as an appropriate basis for his compensation package.
“I know my value…the mayor, my employer, knows my value,” he said, adding he took roughly a $37,000 pay cut to be “able to have the flexibility” of a remote job.
Whitmire intervenes, defending Brown
Amid the back-and-forth, Whitmire came to Brown’s defense, clarifying his role and the administration’s expectations of him, adding he was never hired to be an “hourly wage earner.”
“I’m sorry you’re still under attack unnecessarily,” Whitmire said. “I know for a fact that you do much more than any 15 hours…and it’s quite frankly misrepresenting your total value.”
Hollins claps back
Hollins interjected his monthly financial report with accusations against the Whitmire administration’s delay in providing him with records on Brown’s employment, and was shut down by Whitmire. In the middle of his report, the council broke for 10 minutes.
“The mayor’s actions were disrespectful, they were unprofessional, and they were intended to hide from an honest conversation about Chris Brown’s employment,” he said. “We didn’t react to that. I just continued to deliver my report.”
In an interview with the Defender, Hollins said his office filed public records requests in September into Brown’s employment, including his job responsibilities, the names of his supervisors, access records to city buildings, and when he swipes in and out to his workplace.
The inquiries also extended to Brown’s work setup and working hours.
“They refused to provide that information,” Hollins said. “They [Whitmire’s office] sent us a letter telling us that they weren’t going to give us anything.”
Per Hollins, his office has received responses to about half the records he had filed. The records requests followed his request for information through internal communications with Whitmire’s office, he added.
In turn, Whitmire’s office has filed public information requests looking into Hollins’ office.
“His [Whitmire] political consultants sent us a barrage of public information requests in retaliation, where they’re asking crazy stuff about my family members, stuff about interactions with people I’ve never heard of, and also with members of the city council and their staff and other public officials,” Hollins said. “We spent dozens of hours trying to respond to these retaliatory requests that are going to lead to nothing.”
It would take hours for Hollins’ office to dig through “hours and hours of text messages” to verify whether he discussed city business with someone outside of his office, he alleged.
Brown clarified he is currently working on 19 projects, including Hollins’ requests on his salary and other details.
