$60K in tax dollars are funding Mayor Whitmire's new podcast, according to city records

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- From Houston City Hall comes a new podcast starring Mayor John Whitmire.

First reported by Houston Public Media, documents obtained by Eyewitness News show the project is funded with your tax dollars.

In a city as fast-paced as Houston, access to the mayor and how he's making decisions is paramount when it comes to keeping citizens informed.

"Podcasts allow them to control their own message, and I think that Mayor Whitmire is maybe not the most media-friendly mayor we've ever had, so for him this is a good tool for him to communicate with his audience," University of Houston political science lecturer Nancy Sims said.

Launched March 2nd on Apple Podcasts, three episodes of 901 Bagby: Inside the Mayor's Office are out.

Former TV news reporter Owen Conflenti hosts the podcast, which is described as 'candid conversations about decisions, challenges, and priorities shaping the future of Houston.'

According to documents obtained by Eyewitness News, Conflenti's business is being paid $60,000 in taxpayer money and didn't have to place a bid for the work.

Sims said that because the city is paying under $100,000, they are legally allowed to skip the bid process.

"They can choose to hire a professional firm to do that without having to go out to bid; that is not uncommon in the communications space," Sims said.

In documents justifying why the city isn't going through the bid process, it says Conflenti's work will support communications strategies, provide hands-on production and on-camera leadership, and not create an operational burden.

The podcast gives the mayor a long-form platform to explain and justify his decisions. But Sims said because it's taxpayer-funded, he can't use it to seek reelection.

"If he were to ask for anything financial, if he said anything about a fundraiser, or anything like that, that is absolutely off the table. You cannot use tax dollars for that. So the main reason people attack it and consider it questionable is the sheer personal promotion," Sims said.

Sims said she does find the lack of promotion around the podcast unusual.

The three episodes were uploaded to YouTube on Monday. They have 20 views or fewer at the time of this report.

The mayor was not made available for comment, and Conflenti did not respond to a request for comment.