Angleton council begins process to fill vacant Place 3; Barbara Simmons offers to serve if appointed

The Angleton City Council opened discussion on procedures to fill the vacancy in Council Place 3 and asked members to submit recommendations to staff. Council agreed to return the item at the last meeting in April to review candidate recommendations, invite finalists to the meeting to speak, and, if needed, hold an executive session before selecting a candidate. The new appointee and incoming elected member (sworn in at the first meeting in May) would take their oaths at the same time, council members said.

In a public comment during the item, Barbara Simmons told the council she attends meetings regularly and said, “I am here if y’all want me to,” but also said she would prefer not to run for election and was concerned about issues such as property‑tax voting implications. Simmons said she has lived in Angleton since 1967 and that she would be available to serve if the council wished to appoint her.

Council members discussed whether to appoint a placeholder who would not run for the seat in the next election or to appoint someone who intends to run as an incumbent; members did not adopt a formal rule on that point and instead asked staff to vet recommended candidates for eligibility and return them for discussion. Council directed City Clerk Michelle (name in transcript) to check candidate qualifications and to schedule candidate appearances for the April meeting window.

Next steps: council members will send candidate recommendations to staff; staff will confirm eligibility, invite candidates to attend the council meeting in late April, and prepare materials for an appointment at that meeting if council chooses to proceed.