A battle between two of Houston’s top elected officials is escalating.
Last week, Mayor John Whitmire called for a city ethics investigation into a conference put on by City Controller Chris Hollins.
Now, Hollins is firing back, requesting that, if he’s being investigated, the mayor’s well-known State of the City event should be, too.
The Houston Investor Conference isn’t usually thought of as the most thrilling of city events.
Representatives from major companies attend to learn how to invest in the city.
But here’s what Whitmire had to say last week about this year’s conference:
“It’s wrong. It violates everything I stood for when I was sworn in, transparency,” he said. “I won’t be there, and city employees shouldn’t be there.”
Whitmire accused the controller of creating the appearance of a “pay-for-play” system.
Hollins vowed to continue with the conference, denying the mayor’s allegations.
On Tuesday, Hollins said the conference was still a success, even though one panel had to be canceled because city employees did not attend.