Houston City Controller Chris Hollins says a $2.6 million contract to wash city owned vehicles is not valid, because his office never certified it and roughly 40 percent of the money behind it comes from flood mitigation funds.
ABC13 reported on October 12 that City Council approved the contract 13 to 3 last week, and that Hollins has told the vendor its bills will not be paid.
What Each Side Says
Hollins said his office received the proposal in September and sent it back to the mayor’s office over the funding source, because about 40 percent of it was flood mitigation money. He said he would reconsider a version drawing on what he called a lawful funding source. On the council vote, he told ABC13: “Because it didn’t have our certification, that action is null and void.”
Mayor John Whitmire’s office takes the position that the controller’s certification was not required. It said keeping the city fleet maintained supports flood prevention work, and that Whitmire noted the previous car wash contract also drew on flood funding. Hollins acknowledged that, said his predecessor approved that earlier contract, and said he disagrees with it.
The item itself was changed from an ordinance to a motion before it came back to council. Council Member Alejandra Salinas asked the city attorney why. City Attorney Arturo Michel told the council: “The decision was made so it could move forward and be approved,” and said the city has used that procedure before. The mayor’s office said the change in wording was meant to describe the action more accurately, not to get around the controller’s review.
Where It Stands
Council has approved the contract and the controller says the approval is void. ABC13 reported no lawsuit, no further council action and no resolution. The vendor was not named in the report.
Why This Matters in Kingwood
Kingwood sits inside Houston city limits, so this is city money and a city contract dispute that Lake Houston area residents pay for. Flood mitigation funds are also the pot of money that pays for drainage and detention work in this part of the city, which is what makes the funding source the live question here rather than the car wash itself.
