Vidor ISD trustees hear Gallagher pitch for bond program management; local business owner urges in-house oversight

At a special meeting on Feb. 25, 2025, the Vidor Independent School District Board of Trustees heard a presentation from Gallagher Construction Services on program- and project-management services for the district’s recently approved bond, and a local business owner urged trustees to reject hiring a third-party program manager.

The presentation outlined Gallagher’s program-management model, including a proposed core team (a program manager and two project managers), use of Procore software for document and financial controls, and steps for budget validation, cost management and community outreach. John Hausman, a Vidor business owner who said he has been engaged in the district’s bond process for seven years, told trustees he “strongly oppose[d] the district engaging a third party vendor to oversee and or manage the construction activities resulting from a bond election.”

Gallagher representatives said their work is structured to act as an owner’s advocate and to protect taxpayers’ bond commitments. “We are a fiduciary of the district,” Rob Seidbottom, Gallagher business development, told…