HOUSTON – As Controller Chris Hollins criticized Mayor John Whitmire’s proposed budget for shifting costs onto residents, records show his office requested approval to purchase a nearly $4,000 sofa for city offices days before the mayor unveiled the city’s $7.5 billion spending plan.
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“This budget shifts costs onto working families,” Hollins said during a news conference on the mayor’s proposed budget. “It hides the price tag of city services, and it puts Houston on a dangerous financial path.”
But procurement records obtained by KPRC 2 News show the controller’s office submitted a request April 28, 2026, for an Allemuir Senator Orai three-seat sofa planned to replace a damaged couch in the office.
In a statement to KPRC 2 News, the controller’s office suggested criticism around the potential purchase is political…