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GUESS, I GUESS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT MUCH TO TALK ABOUT.UM, VERY PLEASED WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, THE BANNERS YESTERDAY WERE A SIGNIFICANT EVENT.
UM, I'M GOING TO THE HISPANIC OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS WE'VE GOTTA PAY A SALES TAX ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, WHICH WE'RE PAYING.
SO, OH, AND A DRAINAGE FEE IS BEING USED FOR DRAINAGE, EMPLOYEES, VEHICLES, OIL, AND, UH, MAINTENANCE.
WHAT CAN I DO FOR Y'ALL? FORMER CONTROL CONTROLLER BROWN CAME AND DEFENDED HIMSELF.
VERY, PARDON? FORMER CONTROLLER BROWN CAME AND DEFENDED HIMSELF TODAY.
UM, NO, HE DIDN'T DEFEND HIMSELF.
HE JUST SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
WHY WAIT UNTIL NOW FOR THAT TO, FOR HIM BE PUBLICLY? 'CAUSE THE CONTROLLER CONTINUES TO POLITICIZE, UH, MR. BROWN'S JOB, HE, UH, HIS FILED COMPLAINTS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR POLITICS.
SO WHAT THE OBJECTIVE WAS, IS ONE, LET MR. BROWN DEFEND THIS GOOD NAME IN PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, BUT ALSO HOPEFULLY PUT IT TO REST.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE CONTROLLER'S UNHAPPY.
HE'S FRUSTRATED AND DOESN'T WANT IT BECAUSE WHAT ELSE IS HE GONNA COMPLAIN ABOUT? YOU KNOW, WE'VE HIRED A THOUSAND POLICE OFFICERS SINCE I WAS SWORN IN 800 FIREFIGHTERS.
OUR RESPONSE TIME IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT SAID AT ALL TIME, BEST TOTAL OF 5,400 OFFICERS NOW IN HPD, THE HIGHEST ON RECORD.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WE PASSED A BUDGET 15 TO ONE AFTER HE CRITICIZED IT 15 TO ONE TWO WEEKS AGO, WE PASSED THE SETTLEMENT WITH THE WOODLANDS 13 TO ONE.
HE DOESN'T WANNA BE A CONTROLLER.
AND SO HE'S GOT A COMPLAINT ABOUT SOMETHING.
HE'S GRABBED MR. BROWN AS AN ISSUE.
BUT MR. BROWN DEMONSTRATED THE CURRENT CONTROLLER IS USING MR. BROWN TO MENTOR HIS EMPLOYEES.
FORMER CONTROLLER THAT HE'S CRITICIZING, GOES TO THE CURRENT CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND SHOWS THEM HOW TO DO THEIR JOB.
AND THEN THE CURRENT CONTROLLER USES THE FORMER CONTROLLER THAT HE CRITICIZES AS ONE OF HIS MODERATORS AT HIS FINANCIAL CONFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR GAMES.
WE GOT A CITY TO RUN AND HOUSTONIANS SEE THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE DESPERATE TO CRITICIZE AND YOU CAN'T FIND A VALID REASON, YOU MAKE ONE OF THEM.
AND SO, MR. BROWN HAS A FAMILY WELL RESPECTED BY THIS, BY THIS COUNCIL.
AT LEAST HALF THE COUNCIL SERVED WITH HIM.
SO, YOU KNOW, MR. BROWN WAS CONCERNED AND WOULD LIKE TO PUT IT TO REST.
YOU KNOW, THE WILD ALLEGATIONS WHEN THEY'RE SO UNTRUE AND UNNECESSARY AND IT JUST GETS DOWN TO A POLITICAL AGENDA.
UH, MR. HOLLAND'S TRYING TO IMPROVE HIS NAME, ID, I UNDERSTAND WHERE HE IS COMING FROM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TIME.
IS IT TRUE THAT YOUR POLITICAL ADVISORS HAVE BEEN MY WHO? THAT YOUR POLITICAL ADVISORS? NO, YOU'RE TALKING TO MY ADVISOR.
WELL, IS IT, IS IT TRUE THAT THEY'VE BEEN FILING RECORDS REQUESTS? I DON'T HAVE A CLUE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING IT AND MY OKAY, THINK ABOUT IT.
WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME HOW IT'S A POLITICAL ADVISOR WHO ARE MY POLITICAL ADVISORS? I DON'T HAVE ANY.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT NEEDS POLITICAL ADVICE, I'M WILLING TO GIVE IT TO 'EM.
SO THAT'S SUCH A MISCHARACTERIZATION, AND I WISH YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT.
I MEAN, SO TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE NO, NO.
YOU, I WANNA RE I WANT YOU TO RETRACT.
YOU DON'T KNOW ONE OF MY POLITICAL WHO'S MY POLITICAL ADVISOR.
WELL, I ASSUME YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CAMPAIGN STAFF.
OF COURSE, I'VE GOT CAMPAIGN STAFF.
WELL, IS THAT NOT A POLITICAL ADVISOR? THEY, THEY'RE NOT THE ONES TIED TO WHAT YOU SAID.
WELL, HOLLANDS IS SAYING THAT SOMEONE IS A POLITICAL ADVISOR.
WELL, MR. HOLLANDS IS LOOKING TO IMPROVE HIS NAME ID, AND MOST OF WHAT HE SAID TODAY IS UNTRUE.
THE SALES TAX IS NOT $4 MILLION.
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WRONG TO USE THE DRAINAGE FEE TO MAINTAIN DRAINAGE VEHICLES.I DON'T HAVE CURRENT POLITICAL ADVISORS DO I HAVE A CAME FUND, CAMPAIGN FUND, UH, UH, PERSONNEL.
YES, BUT THEY'RE NOT ADVISORS.
AND THEY SHOULD NOT TAMPERING WITH MR. HOLLANDS.
MR. HOLLANDS ON MOST DAYS IN OUR ACTIVITIES IS TOTALLY IRRELEVANT BECAUSE INSTEAD OF BEING HERE AND WORKING, HE'S IN DALLAS AT A POLITICAL CONVENTION.
WE HAVE A CITY TO RUN AND WE'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB.
WHAT, WHAT'S HE GONNA CRITICIZE? DO YOU PLAN TO KEEP CHRIS BROWN AS AN EMPLOYEE? CHRIS FOR CHRIS BROWN HAS, HAS SAVED US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WITH THAT CREDIT RATING.
CERTAINLY HE'S A VALUABLE EMPLOYEE.
DO YOU FEEL THOSE EFFORTS ARE MAYBE DUPLICATIVE BETWEEN MELISSA D'S WORK, CHRIS HOLLAND'S WORK? NO.
FIRST OF ALL, MR. HOLLANDS IS NOT DOING THE WORK.
AND IN FACT, MY FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF REACHED OUT TO CHRIS BROWN WHEN WE SAW THAT MR. HOLLANDS DID NOT WANNA COOPERATE DAY ONE.
DAY ONE, HE DID NOT WANT TO BE CONTROLLER.
HE TOOK THEN THE FINANCE DIRECTOR TO HIS OFFICE, REMOVED HIM FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WHERE WE HAD BEEN WORKING.
HE GOT ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM THE PREVIOUS MAYOR IN THE SAME TRANSACTION.
SO WE REACHED OUT TO CHRIS BROWN WITH HIS EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE BECAUSE IT'S A, IT'S REALLY BENEFICIAL IF THE MAN A CONTROLLER CAN WORK TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF MR. HOLLAND'S TECHNIQUES, SYLVESTER TURNER WOULD'VE NEVER ALLOWED A PERSONAL PRIVILEGE IS, HAS NO ROLE HERE.
Y'ALL PLEASE, Y'ALL PLEASE DOCUMENT WHAT TRANSPIRES HERE.
THE FINANCIAL REPORT IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF INFORMATION, BUT WHEN YOU GO OFF ON A TANGENT, I THINK LAST MONTH, LIKE 40 MINUTES ON A POLITICAL AGENDA, THERE'LL BE A TIME FOR POLITICS.
BUT CANDIDATE HOLLANDS TODAY NEEDS TO STICK TO HIS CITY JOB.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WE, WE REALLY, I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU, I AGREED TO DO IT, BUT IT WAS THE FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF THAT SAW THE NEED FOR SOMEONE THAT WOULD WORK WITH US ON THE OPERATIONAL CONTROLLER'S OFFICE.
YOU HEARD THE FACTS TODAY, THE AUDITS ARE NOT BEING DONE IN THE, IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE.
THEY REACH OUT, THEY REACH OUT TO MR. BROWN, SO Y'ALL BE REASONABLE.
I MEAN, I'M JUST DOING MY JOB.
HE WANTED ME TO HAVE HIM REMOVED.
TOTALLY DISRESPECTED THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON ON THE BUDGET AND FINANCES IN ALCORN.
SHE RAISED A POINT ORDER, I SUSTAINED IT.
HE WOULDN'T LET ME RECOGNIZE WILLIE DAVIS.
THEY WASN'T OFFICIALLY A BREAK INTO THE QUORUM, BUT THEY WERE ALL IN THE PROCESS OF GOING TO THE BACK HALL.
WE HAVE SERIOUS BUSINESS CONDUCT.
AND, AND GO BACK, GO BACK TO HIS PREVIOUS PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TALKS TOTALLY UNRELATED TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
HE'S WORKING ON HIS NAME ID AND I UNDERSTAND THAT HE'S FRUSTRATED AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT POLITICAL ADVISORS, THAT'S WHO'S GETTING POLITICAL ADVICE AND IT'S BAD.
MAYOR, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT MR. BROWN'S EMAILS AND HIS BADGE SWIPES.
YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT HIS VALUE TO THE CITY.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU OR THE CITY CAN TURN OVER AS EVIDENCE INTO HIS VALUE SO THAT YOU CAN PUT SOME OF THIS TO REST? YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TALK TO MR. BROWN IN TERMS OF THE SWIPES.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT HIS ASSIGNMENT.
WHEN I GOT TO CITY HALL, THERE WERE 1700 PEOPLE WORKING AT HOME.
MR. BROWN WAS ALLOWED TO NETWORK AND ADVISE THE CITY OVER THE COMPUTER WITHOUT SHOWING UP ON A DAILY BASIS.
NOT UNUSUAL, 1700 PEOPLE WERE DOING IT.
THE AGREEMENT THAT THE CITY MADE WITH HIM WAS, WE NEED YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
WE NEED YOU TO BE PRESENT WHEN NECESSARY.
HE TALKS TO FINANCE, HE SAVED US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
HE NETWORKS WITH THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
SO, NO, AND, AND ANY QUESTION ABOUT THE VALUE, YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT THE PARTIES BELIEVE IT IS, AND NO ONE PROTECTS THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS MORE THAN ME.
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FACT, MOST OF THOSE 1700 ARE NOW WORKING AT CITY HALLS.SO YOU'RE, YOU, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ANY INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE.
UH, HELL, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO DO OPEN RECORDS.
I MEAN, I DON'T, IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION, BUT, BUT IT'S NOT REFLECTIVE OF HIS DUTIES.
EVEN THAT SILLY TALK ABOUT HIS 15 HOURS A WEEK OR SO.
THAT'S, FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S A GUESSTIMATE, BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER.
HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK WOULD YOU SAY, ESTIMATE THAT YOU TALKED TO MR. BROWN? I'M NOT, HE DOESN'T REPORT ME REPORTS TO CHIEF OF STAFF AND THE FINANCE.
BUT ON A REGULAR BASIS, WE'LL SEE.
THE ONLY OPTION FOR THIS POSITION WAS, WAS THERE ANYONE ELSE? CONCERN? CERTAINLY.
WELL, THE BREAKDOWN FROM DAY ONE WHEN MR. HOLLINS DID NOT WANNA BE THE CONTROLLER.
YOU UNDERSTAND, HE WAS IN THE MAYOR'S RACE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT WHEN HE WAS PULLED OUT BY THE POWER BROKERS AND HE SETTLED, WAS TOLD TO SETTLE AS CONTROLLER, HE WAS VERY UNHAPPY.
AND TO ASSIST HIM, THEY GAVE HIM THE FINANCE DIRECTOR THE DAY BEFORE.
WE WERE ALL SWORN IN WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
SO MY CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE TIME, CHRIS NEWPORT, SAID, IF HOLLANDS WILL NOT WORK WITH US ON BALANCING THE BUDGET AND HAVING A FINANCIAL RESPONSIBLE POLICIES IN THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, LET'S REACH OUT TO CHRIS BROWN.
HE HAD JUST LEFT AFTER EIGHT YEARS, HE, CHRIS WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS NEXT CAREER AND TOOK ON ESSENTIALLY A PART-TIME JOB WITH THE CITY, HAD A FRACTION OF WHAT HE COULD HAVE CHARGED.
I I SAID, WELL, GO AHEAD AND BRING HIM IN FULL TIME.
BUT WE HAD AN EXCELLENT, WE'D ALREADY MADE A DEC DECISION ON WHO SHOULD BE THE FINANCIAL DIRECTOR.
ONE OF THE SMARTEST THINGS I'VE DONE, OR CHRIS WAS CERTAINLY UNDER CONSIDERATION TO BE A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE.
HE'D BEEN OFFERED OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
SO AT A VERY REASONABLE AMOUNT, HE AGREED TO ACCEPT THAT JOB AND USE HIS EXPERIENCE AND BE ON CALL WHEN WE PREPARE THE BUDGET, HE HELPED DRAFT THE BUDGET AND WE SAVED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY A NON-ISSUE EXCEPT SOMEONE WANTS TO POLITICIZE IT AND IT'S REALLY UNFAIR.
AND THE IN THE FILE, UH, ALLEGATIONS AND TO DO OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS AND ASK FOR IN, HE HAS NO AUTHORITY TO INVESTIGATE ANYONE.
WHY DON'T Y'ALL RECOGNIZE THAT? WHO IS HE TO SAY, I WANT TO INVESTIGATE? HE COULD INVESTIGATE.
IT'S, IT'S AS SILLY IF HE'S INVESTIGATING YOU.
HE HAS NO AUTHORITY, BUT HE'S FRUSTRATED.
HE'S WOULD LIKE TO CAMPAIGN, WOULD LIKE TO BUILD UP HIS NAME ID, AND IN ALL DUE RESPECT, NEARLY EVERYTHING IS SAID, HAS BEEN WRONG.
SAID WE'D HAVE TO RAISE TAXES.
13 MEMBERS VOTED FOR IT, ONE VOTED NO.
THE BUDGET, IT'S UNHEARD OF IN MODERN TIME FOR A CITY BUDGET TO PASS 15 TO ONE, AND WE'LL PASS THE NEXT ONE BALANCED WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
SO WHAT'S HE GONNA SAY? I'M HOPING, CRITICIZE ME ON THE FACTS.
EVERYWHERE I GO ACROSS HOUSTON, EVERY COMMUNITY KNOWS WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
EIGHT, THEY COMPARE US TO THE COUNTY.
IT'S JUST, HEY, IT IS A GREAT DAY TO BE A HOUSTONIAN.
I'M SAD WE'VE LOST SOME LOVED ONES.
HE WAS LOOKING SO FAR INTO RETIREMENT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A CHALLENGE.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES? GARNET COLEMAN, SANDRA BLAND ACT WAS MENTIONED.
HE WAS A MENTAL HEALTH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, DEALING WITH HER TRAGEDY.
TODAY, IF YOU'RE TAKEN TO JAIL AND YOU HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, YOU GET A COUNSELOR FACE ON FACE, THEY DO A CHECKBOX
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TO PREVENT SUICIDE.THAT WAS REALLY A, THAT WAS, AND IT WAS TOUGH BECAUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIDN'T WANT THOSE KIND OF STIPULATIONS.
THE SANDRA BLAND ACT IS SAVING LIVES.
AND GARNET MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE.
THE HOBBY SCHOOL HE PASSED, HE WAS ALMOST WHAT I WOULD REFER TO AS THE MAYOR OF THIRD WARD.
CERTAINLY HAD A LOT OF INFLUENCE ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, ANYTHING ELSE? I I, I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM, SO DID HOLLANDS, DID HIS OFFICE SEND OVER 30 TPIA REQUESTS TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ABOUT, UH, BROWN'S HIRING? YES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT SURE.
WE'VE, WE'VE ANSWERED HIS QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANNA PRESS YOU ON THAT AGAIN.
LIKE, IF I'M A REPORTER AND I'M IN, AND I WANT TO SEE EVIDENCE OF THE VALUE THAT CHRIS BROWN IS PROVIDING, I JUST GAVE YOU THE, THE VALUE, THE SAVINGS OF MILLIONS IN THE BUDGET.
WHAT COULD I REQUEST AND TO, TO SEE THAT? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO YOUR JOB, MAN.
I MEAN, I, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU REQUEST? YOU, YOU, YOU DRILL ME, YOU DRILL HIM.
WE'RE ALL AVAILABLE, BUT, BUT TO, TO GIVE YOU A PIECE OF PAPER.
CHRIS BROWN'S FINGERPRINTS ARE ON ALL THAT.
YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW DO WE, HOW WOULD YOU JUSTIFY YOUR JOB TODAY? I GUESS WHAT YOU WRITE, BUT, UH, THE BOTTOM LINE PHONE CALLS.
BUT, BUT YOU'RE ASKING AN IMPOSSIBLE, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU PUT A VALUE ON WHAT I DO? HOW DO YOU PUT A VALUE ON
BUT ANYWAY, UH, ANY OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE OPEN TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
CHRIS IS A VALUABLE EMPLOYEE THAT WAS BROUGHT ON BECAUSE WE NEEDED SOMEBODY THAT WOULD WORK WITH US IN DEALING WITH THE CITY'S FINANCES.
AND HE, I'LL NOTE THAT HE'S DONE A FINE JOB.
I'LL NOTE THAT MR. BROWN DID DECLINE OUR REQUEST FOR COMMENT.
IT WAS NOT ME, BUT A COLLEAGUE.
YOU KNOW WHAT? HE IS ALREADY DIRECTING HIM.
HE CAN NOW SPEAK OPENLY ABOUT THIS.
IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU, HE'S, HE'S TIRED OF THE POLITICS.
EVERYONE IS FREE TO DO WHAT THEY CHOOSE.
SO YOU CAN TALK TO HIM IF HE HAS NO COMMENT, HE HAS NO COMMENT.
IT'S UNFAIR, IT'S UNJUST FOR HIS KIDS TO HEAR WILD ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE NOT SUBSTANTIATED.
AND HE DIDN'T GET HIRED TO PLAY POLITICS.
WHY DON'T YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THE CONTROLLER ASKED HIM TO COME TALK TO HIS EMPLOYEES AND SHARE HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATION OF THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE? THAT'S NOT A FABRICATION.
THEY NEEDED HIM AND THEN THEY PUT HIM ON THEIR WEBSITE FOR THEIR CONFERENCE.
SO, YOU KNOW, HE HAS HUGE VALUE THAT'S EVEN RECOGNIZED BY HIS CRITIC.
BUT ANYWAY, THERE'S SO MANY MORE THINGS WE OUGHT TO BE TALKING ABOUT.
HOUSTONIANS ARE NOT FOCUSED ON THIS AT ALL, AND I GOTTA GET TO THAT.
HISPANIC OFFICERS, DO Y'ALL REALIZE HALF OF HPD OFFICERS ARE HISPANIC GREAT LANGUAGE SKILLS TOO? SO LET'S ALL GO TO WORK.