Harris County Commissioner Approves Multi-Million Dollar Contracts With Wife's Realty Client
Harris County, Texas Commissioner Rodney Ellis has voted in favor to continually approve multi-million dollar contracts with T-Mobile despite their inclusion as a client in his spouse’s real estate advisory portfolio.
According to longtime Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ 2024 personal financial statement, his spouse, Licia Green is the President / CEO of The Waterman Steele Group Real Estate Advisors.
Ms. Green’s LinkedIn profile indicates that she has been with the firm since 2007.
Per the The Waterman Steele Group website, T-Mobile is one of their clients.
On July 10, 2018, July 10, 2018 Avison Young published the following press release:
Avison Young negotiates 29,142-square-foot long-term lease with T-Mobile River Oaks Tower to be re-named T-Mobile Tower
Houston — Avison Young, the world’s fastest-growing commercial real estate services firm, announced today that it has completed a long-term, 29,142-square-foot (sf) office lease in Houston’s Greenway business district at 4126 Southwest Freeway on behalf of Medistar Corporation.
Avison Young Principals Doug Pack and Sam Hansen, who are based in the company’s Houston office, represented the landlord. The tenant was represented by Tami Pearson and Lindsay Pearson with Waterman Steele Real Estate Advisors…
Throughout the pandemic and possibly prior, Commissioner Ellis voted to approve several multi-million dollar contracts with T-Mobile.
Per an August 11, 2020 article in The Houston Chronicle:
Harris County puts $32 million toward buying WiFi hotspots, digital devices for students
Harris County commissioners on Tuesday voted to spend up to $32 million in federal COVID-19 funds on providing hundreds of thousands of WiFi hotspots and devices to children in school districts across the county.
The funds, provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act, will go toward the purchase of more than 200,000 devices, such as Chromebook laptops, and more than 80,000 WiFi hotspots. The county is partnering with the Texas Education Agency and T-Mobile as part of the initiative.
Commissioners stressed that the programs are targeted at low-income students, many of whom attend schools that could hold classes remotely during the fall due to the pandemic. Gov. Greg Abbott recently said public health authorities could not block schools within their jurisdictions from reopening, though he allowed for certain measures delaying the start of in-person instruction.
Commissioner Rodney Ellis cited a recent study that found about a quarter of Texas students lack the devices needed for at-home instruction, while about a third lack adequate internet access. Among the latter group, two-thirds are Black, Latino or Native American, the study found.
“Educational outcomes were already highly unequal before COVID-19,” Ellis said. “As instruction moves online, we need to make sure that no child is left behind in their education, particularly those in low-income and communities of color, who do not have high-speed internet and devices at home.”
jasper.scherer@chron.com
The Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget for Harris County highlighted the following program performance measure for technology usage across the library system.
The 2019 Harris County Code of Conduct expresses the following:
Harris County officials and employees shall avoid any activity that creates a real or apparent conflict of interest. Conflicts exist in any relationship where the County’s best interests may be different from an official’s or employee’s best interests. Conflicts of interest would arise when an official, employee, or any members of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization that employs or is about to employ any of the parties identified herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from an affiliated party considered for a contract and the official or employee is participating in any way in the procurement.
Federal and State Law Compliance
No official, employee, or affiliated party shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract or subcontract supported by grant funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest exists. The County and its affiliated parties shall comply with Chapter 171 of the Texas Local Government Code, Regulation of Conflicts of Interest of Officers of Municipalities, Counties, and Certain Other Local Governments and 24 C.F.R. §200.318, General Procurement Standards.
Does Commissioner Ellis present a conflict of interest by approving T-Mobile contracts despite their inclusion in his spouse’s realty portfolio?
Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
-Proverbs 11:28