in Houston, Texas

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The city of Houston required more than a week to provide Texas Watchdog with copies of Houston Mayor Bill White and city council members’ financial disclosure forms. The documents were released today, May 11.

The documents were not made available upon request because certain details, such as the names of spouses and home addresses, must be removed first, said Nerissa Jewitt, with the city's legal department.

But concealing such information would keep citizens from knowing whether, for example, a city council member's home was near a controversial land development blocked by the city, or a commissioner's husband's company was benefiting from a lucrative public contract.

Like Houston, Harris County officials concealed the names of elected officials' spouses.

Hector Deleon, a spokesman for the Harris County clerk's office, said personal information such as spouse's names is routinely removed from released documents. Deleon could not immediately cite the passage in state law the office relies upon in removing such information.

"It's just a routine administrative procedure," he said. "It's just a guideline we have to follow."

Jewitt, the city official, echoed Deleon's comments.

She said it's the city's usual policy to black out spouses' names and home addresses on the financial disclosure forms.

If a member of the public disagrees with the city's decision to redact information, the city would seek an attorney general ruling, Jewitt said.

Contact Matt Pulle and Rosanna Ruiz at 713-980-9777. E-mail matt@texaswatchdog.org or rosanna@texaswatchdog.org.