Chris Hollins Would be a DISASTER AS CITY CONTROLLER

Apr 25, 2023

Chris Hollins’ Business Charter Revoked Under Texas Tax Code

Due to noncompliance with the Texas Tax Code, the Texas Secretary of State has revoked the business charter of MMV Real Estate LLC, a business entity belonging to Houston City Controller Candidate Chris Hollins.

According to the City of Houston, “The City Controller serves as the City's Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for ensuring that the assets of the City are properly accounted for and expended in a manner consistent with applicable laws, policies, plans, and procedures.”

Before announcing his candidacy for City Controller earlier this month, Hollins had been running an active campaign for Mayor of Houston. However, his Mayoral candidacy failed to gain traction, and he switched races upon Sheila Jackson Lee's entrance into the Mayoral race.

Hollins formed MMV Real Estate LLC on July 3, 2018, and is listed as the entity's managing member. MMV Real Estate LLC owns a building located at 6444 Cypress Creek Parkway, which currently houses several businesses, including Hollins' law firm and J. Jackson Law Offices, PLLC, which Harris County Commissioners Court improperly awarded a lucrative contingent fee contract for legal services in the County's litigation against JUUL that did not comply with state law.

The building was also the former home of the Stacked Pickle, a failed sports bar owned by Hollins. Among the Yelp reviews left for the Stacked Pickle during the brief time it was in business included a complaint from a mother about the bar playing vulgar and sexually explicit music despite the presence of children in the establishment.

The tax forfeiture currently in effect for MMV Real Estate LLC is not the first time the company lost its right to conduct business due to noncompliance with the Texas Tax Code. On January 15, 2021, the Secretary of State revoked the business charter for MMV Real Estate LLC under the Texas Tax Code. The Texas Secretary of State reinstated the entity on April 7, 2021, after it cleared up its franchise tax requirements and obtained a tax clearance letter from the Texas Comptroller's office.

The business charter for MMV Real Estate LLC was once again revoked under the Texas Tax Code on June 24, 2022. This forfeiture is currently in effect and has not been cleared up as of today.

MMV Real Estate LLC is not the only one of Hollins' businesses that have had a business charter revoked under the Texas Tax Code. His law firm, Hollins Law Group, received a forfeiture from the Texas Secretary of State on January 15, 2021. It was reinstated on April 13, 2021, after satisfying franchise tax requirements.

Hollins' habitual noncompliance with the Texas Tax Code for his businesses, which has resulted in their business charters being revoked by the State, calls into question his fitness and qualifications to serve as the Chief Financial Officer for the City of Houston. Chris Hollins has proven that he cannot be entrusted with keeping the affairs of his own small businesses in order. How can he be expected to competently serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the fourth largest city in America, with a budget of $5.71 billion for the current fiscal year?

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