What happened
City Attorney Mike Garner told council he had been asked back in November to identify a firm for the work. He said finding the right vendor may be “fairly niche,” and he expected it to involve a law firm with municipal government experience paired with someone with a financial background, adding that staff would bring details back to council once a firm is identified and parameters are set.
The decision comes as Conroe gears up for the May 2 general election for council Places 3, 4 and 5, along with municipal judge. Candidate packets are available on City Hall’s third floor, with filing set to open Jan. 14 and close Feb. 13, City Secretary Sami Quinlan said.
What changed
- Council authorized the city attorney to engage a firm for what was described during discussion as “clerical, completeness checks” of the disclosures—rather than interpretive judgments.
- The city attorney said the forms do not call for account numbers or Social Security numbers, and he described the disclosures as open to public inspection.
Several speakers urged council to hold off, arguing the city already has a state-required personal financial statement process and that adding another layer—without clear standards, storage protocols or an appeals process—could create the appearance of political leverage and discourage participation. Others raised concerns about liability, cybersecurity and the lack of “pass/fail” metrics for how disclosures would be evaluated.
Digging deeper
During council discussion, council member Howard Wood repeatedly pressed for “parameters,” guardrails and a clear timeline for notifying candidates of issues and allowing corrections before the filing window closes.
The item ultimately passed on a 3-2 roll-call vote, with votes in favor including council members David Hariel, Marsha Porter and Shana Arthur. Council members opposed were Wood and Harry Hardman.
