More than a year after being terminated, a former Kirby city manager was rehired by city council — with a pay raise.
In January 2025, a split city council voted 4-3 to appoint Brian Rowland to serve as interim city manager.
Rowland’s salary for the interim position is $115,000, according to a copy of his 2025 contract.
It’s not Rowland’s first time in city hall. KSAT Investigates reviewed months of city council minutes and meetings and found that council terminated Rowland’s contract as city manager four months after they voted to hire him.
“One of the worst experiences in my very short life”
After graduating from college, Mariana Ramirez began working for the City of Kirby in May 2024.
“It was awesome,“ she said. ”I honestly — I loved my job.”
She served as the city’s court clerk, but said she helped out wherever she was needed.
“I was everything girl,” Ramirez said.
In 2023, Ramirez and Kirby city staff got a new boss.
Kirby Mayor Janeshia Grider and four other city council members voted to hire Brian Rowland during a June 2023 meeting.
A copy of a 2023 contract shows Rowland’s annual salary was $105,000 in addition to reimbursements for mileage for city related business trips over 70 miles.
Within months, some of the cheers about Rowland turned into criticism.
“What was it like working under Dr. Rowland?” asked KSAT Investigates reporter Daniela Ibarra.
“Probably one of the worst experiences I’ve had in my very short life,” replied Ramirez. “…Working under him was very stressful because, one, when he was there, which was not very often, when he was there, he was too busy berating everybody to do anything that was productive for the city.”
It is one of several reasons Ramirez and two other employees filed complaints with city council.
Two of the employees, including Ramirez, spoke at an August 2023 council meeting about Rowland.
“I am telling you I no longer feel comfortable working with the city manager,” said Kelene Benavidez, who identified herself as the Kirby water clerk.
Council voted to suspend Rowland with pay while an investigation took place.
Rowland’s history questioned
A report completed by a law firm analyzed several complaints employees made about Rowland, according to records obtained by KSAT Investigates through a source.
Investigators looked at accusations that Rowland created a toxic work environment, arrived late to meetings and mismanaged pay — all partially corroborated.
Complaints about a lack of training and sexual harassment were not corroborated.
The report said complaints about Rowland calling employees to do work off-the-lock were true.
“If I would clock out at 5:00… he would still be like, ‘hey, I need this, I need that,’” Ramirez said. “And so we stayed behind.”
A month and a half after being suspended, Rowland went before city council to defend himself.
“While some may view my approach as unconventional, I can assure you that – I can assure you that disrespecting anyone was never my intention,” Rowland said during the October 12, 2023 meeting.
Despite his plea, council voted to place Rowland on administrative leave.
Four days later, Kirby city council terminated Rowland with four months of severance pay.
Payroll records provided by a source show within days, the city paid Rowland about $40,000.
A source also provided KSAT Investigates with a copy of the city’s general operation payments from early 2024.
The records show the city paid Rowland $25,000 in May 2024 for a separation agreement.
KSAT Investigates has requested a copy of that agreement and we’re still waiting to get it.
Just over a year after Rowland’s termination, the city rehired Rowland to serve as its interim city manager.
Council was split whether to bring Rowland back. Grider cast the deciding vote in January 2025.
“What do you think about that decision?” Ibarra asked.
“The decision to rehire him that is baffling,” said Ramirez. “…Why him? Why are you so hellbent on putting yourself in a position to put this man back?”
While Rowland was under suspension, he was listed as one of nine defendants in a 2023 federal lawsuit tied to his time as mayor of the city of Prairie View, Texas.
The lawsuit accused Rowland of bullying, harassment, and creating a hostile work environment.
Online court records show Rowland and the other defendants filed a motion to dismiss the case in September 2024.
“Best person for the job”
KSAT Investigates reached out to Grider and Rowland to sit down for an interview for this story five times.
Neither replied, which is why KSAT Investigates caught up with them before the February 13 council meeting.
“Why rehire him?” Ibarra asked Grider in the Kirby city hall parking lot. “You guys voted to suspend him, then put him on leave, then fire him and then rehire him. You have an investigation that went into this. I mean, why rehire him?”
“Because he’s the best person to do the job,” said Grider.”
KSAT Investigates showed Grider the paperwork listing the city’s $25,000 payment to Rowland.
“Do you think rehiring him is a good use of taxpayer dollars?” asked Ibarra.
“We had people after him that was employed here by other staff members that have cost us over $100,000 and more,” Grider responded.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Ibarra said. “Do you think rehiring him is a good use of taxpayer dollars?
“Do you know what’s going on here in the city right now? Do you know how all this started?” responded Grider.
About 10 minutes before the start of the council meeting, KSAT caught up with Rowland inside city hall. He repeated the mayor’s praise of him.
“Why come back?” asked Ibarra.
“Because I’m the best person for the job,” responded Rowland.
“I mean, [the city] did an investigation on you,” said Ibarra.
“It came back negative,” replied Rowland, who then walked away and refused to answer additional questions.
Ramirez, who no longer works for the city of Kirby, is disappointed with the city’s decision to bring Rowland back.
“I think it’s a big waste of taxpayer dollars,” she said.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
