Chris Hollins is also calling for the advisor's temporary suspension after a report by ABC13's media partner, the Houston Chronicle, revealed the advisor rarely appeared at City Hall, but still collected a six-figure taxpayer-funded salary.
According to reporting by the Houston Chronicle, Chris Brown earns a taxpayer-funded salary of just over $127,000 a year, in a job specially created by the mayor.
On Monday, Hollins announced an investigation into Brown, who is the mayor's appointed Senior Advisor for Financial Integrity.
Brown was the city controller from 2016 until Hollins took the job two and a half years ago.
The city's controller is the city's chief financial officer, and when he was in office, Brown had strong warnings about the city's future.
"We have been paying our mortgage by selling our furniture and putting half of our mortgage on credit cards," Brown said at the time.
The Houston Chronicle reported last week that public records show Brown has badged into city facilities only 13 days since joining the mayor's office in January 2024.
The Chronicle also reported that records show Brown had only sent about a dozen email messages during the first three months of this year, none of which appeared to involve fiscal matters.
"I'm calling upon Mayor Whitmire to immediately suspend Chris Brown pending the outcome of this investigation," Hollins said. "We expect documents that are requested will be turned over. We expect to interview the mayor and Controller Brown, that they will cooperate."
ABC13 reached out to Brown on the phone and at his home, but didn't hear back from him.
The mayor's office did not answer any of ABC13's questions about the investigation or Brown's advisory role, merely releasing a statement that said Brown was part of passing the city's most recent budget.
"My office has not worked with Mr. Brown in more than two years," Hollins said.
Hollins said an investigation could take weeks, months, or even a year.