Houston Council Shelves Probe Into Clear Lake Development: Report

HOUSTON, TX — The Houston City Council voted to delay the hiring of an outside investigator to look into allegations Mayor Sylvester Turner showed preferential treatment to an affordable housing bid in Clear Lake, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle.

The City Council voted in 10-5 in favor of referring a proposed contract with Austin-based Butler Snow LLP back to the administration, which delays the vote for 30 days.

Turner fired former City Housing Director Tom McCasland on Sept. 21 after McCasland accused Turner of a "charade" of an affordable housing bid process and steering money toward a proposal in Clear Lake called Huntington at Bay Area.

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McCasland accused Turner of favoring the Huntington project at the expense of working families when he selected the $15 million proposal to create 88 affordable housing units in Clear Lake over housing officials' recommendation for a $16.2 million proposal to create 362 affordable housing units among four different projects. Harbor Venture Group, a company with a stake in the proposal selected by Turner, is run by Turner's former law partner, Barry Barnes.

Turner called for the investigation into the allegations on Sept. 23. He has since pulled his recommendation for the project, which he said made an outside investigation "no longer necessary," according to the Chronicle report.

The General Land Office of Texas is investigating past Houston projects in response to the allegations to ensure the proper competitive process was followed, though the Huntington bid is not under investigation.