Houston has a new watchdog monitoring its purse strings with Chris Hollins stepping into the role as the city controller after defeating Orlando Sanchez in a decisive runoff election last December. Hollins, a Democrat and the former Harris County Clerk, took command of the financial office with over 59% of the vote, according to Houston Public Media. His victory came amidst a continuing trend of Democrats securing prominent positions in Harris County politics.
Tasked with protecting Houston's fiscal health, Hollins' remit includes managing the city’s investments, overseeing payments, and conducting monthly and annual financial reporting, per The Houston Chronicle; he does not have the power to change policies outright but his role does enable him to audit city departments and programs, leveraging this oversight capacity to suggest reforms and indirectly steer council decisions, a tact reminiscent of the actions by his predecessor Chris Brown during the stalemate over the George Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal B funding.
Hollins, who introduced notable voting initiatives like drive-thru and 24-hour voting, pivoted to the controller's race following his withdrawal from the mayoral campaign, and has since been vocal about the substantial fiscal hurdles facing Houston, notably the controversial $1.5 billion settlement deal with the firefighters union. Hollins argued that a judicious pay parity strategy could have halved the $650 million backpay costs, sparking opposition from union leaders who accused him of politicization—an allegation he refuted by emphasizing his duty to provide objective fiscal data, as he told The Houston Chronicle.
In the face of the city's impending budgetary constraints and following the roll off of federal COVID assistance levels, Hollins has advocated for increased funding to enhance the audit team’s capacity and transparency in government, he has requested nearly $864,000 to expand the team, positing that these investments would pay for themselves by identifying cost-saving measures, and he's also asked for additional funding to develop an advanced platform for the public to access city financials, highlighting his commitment to root out corruption and promote transparency in government finances, in the words that he shared with The Houston Chronicle.
