Brown deserves another term as controller
But he must ensure his office is providing a check on the mayor’s power, not just trimming fat.
In a city where the mayor’s office holds as much power as it does in Houston, checks and balances to that power ought to be nurtured and protected.
One of the biggest — and let’s face it, one of the few — checks on the Houston mayor’s office is the city controller. That office, elected independently every four years, is responsible for reviewing the city’s finances and reporting on their soundness without fear or favor.
Just as important, the controller has sole discretion to decide which areas of government — from the police to affordable housing to garbage collection, or any of the hundreds of functions of
City Hall — should be subjected to performance audits.
Orlando Sanchez, the former City Council member and three-term Harris County treasurer, argues that incumbent Controller Chris Brown has failed to make adequate use of his auditing authority and thus provide the vitally important independent check on Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Sanchez, who was voted out as Harris County treasurer in 2018, raises a legitimate concern: A review of audits authorized by Brown reveals mostly efforts to find ways City Hall can save money — always a welcome goal — and few sweeping assessments of highprofile city departments, which could help hold the administration accountable.
Consider how many of the major debates involving the races for mayor and Council have turned on questions about operations at major city departments — from police use of body cameras and no-knock warrants to the city’s use of drainage fee revenues and how Turner processed Harvey recovery funds.
But while Sanchez promises to use the audit function more aggressively, he has no experience doing so. As county treasurer, he mostly focused on writing checks and managing the county’s bills. The kind of aggressive, independent audit function he promises would be an entirely new role for him.
Brown, on the other hand, has served four years in his current role. Prior to his election in 2015, he was chief deputy controller for six years and chief of staff for Council before that. He also had a financial background before joining City Hall.
Brown defended his record overseeing city audits when the two candidates met with the editorial board, but conceded his top priority has been to find ways for city government to save money.
We recommend voters keep Brown in office. But we do so with a caveat, and urge him to ensure his office is answering the most pressing questions voters have about how City Hall operates. That requires a broader and more independent mindset than simply looking for ways to cut inefficiency.
We also believe Brown owes a fuller explanation to voters, and to Council, of why he didn’t make sure that Council members and the mayor were fully aware he owned an interest in a property sold to a developer who later received council approval of tax incentives. The deal was reviewed by city attorneys, and Brown filed a disclosure to the county clerk, but he did not make sure Council or the mayor knew about his connection before the vote.
The mayor told the editorial board he’s ordered a review of the episode and that he’ll support an ordinance requiring all public officials to make such disclosures in the future.
That’s a start, but Brown can do himself and the reputation of his office much good with an apology and an fuller explanation. With that behind him, we believe he’ll do the best job as city controller and urge voters to support him.