Residents call for recall, DA referral over alleged conduct by Councilman Joseph Lowry; council moves to censure

A string of public comments at the June 9 La Marque City Council meeting accused Councilman Joseph Lowry (District C) of harassment, threats and misuse of his office; council later debated and voted to censure him after hearing a complaint from a fellow councilmember.

During citizens’ participation, an online speaker who identified himself as Harvey Freebird said Lowry “stormed out of public meetings, doxed private citizens, stalked people who disagree with him” and described social‑media posts he characterized as advocacy for building an “armored” vehicle. “When someone starts talking about building an armored weapon, everybody should take that seriously,” Freebird said, adding that “these aren’t jokes. These are real threats.”

Resident Vanessa McAfee, who said she is from Texas City, alleged that Councilman Lowry’s business, 6 Brothers Concrete, falsely claimed a La Marque residential address in a grant application to receive $50,000 from the city’s EDC and urged the council to seek repayment and refer the matter to the district attorney. McAfee said she had documents and public posts showing the business operating from another address in San Leon and that College of the Mainland had sued the business for delinquent taxes.

Haley Winkelman, a La Marque resident and one of the recall petition organizers for District C, told the council she filed for recall and said Lowry had left multiple meetings and “created chaos in a toxic work environment.” Winkelman said she and others who filed the petition had since been harassed online.

Council member James Ross later said he had filed a complaint connected to an email Councilman Lowry sent to the city’s economic‑development director that Ross said attempted to block incentives for a project Ross is involved with. Ross told the council he was seeking censure. Lowry responded from the dais, saying the allegations were politically motivated and that he was exercising his free‑speech rights.

Council debated in open session. Mayor Bell described the council’s obligation to limit disruption and to protect the city franchise from unnecessary liability; several council members said some of Lowry’s language—specifically an email phrase that said a fellow councilmember “does not have the mental capacity to do research”—crossed a line and merited discipline. Mayor Pro Tem Joe Campion said the “mental capacity” phrasing was “a bridge too far.”

Councilmember James Ross moved to censure Councilman Lowry; a motion to censure was amended on the floor to remove qualification language and then voted on. A voice vote followed; council members debated at length. (Motion and vote phrasing are in the official minutes.)

What the council did not do at the June 9 meeting: the council did not refer criminal allegations to the district attorney on the record at that meeting, nor did the city attorney announce any formal criminal investigation. City Manager Joshua Pritchard said the meeting had produced a letter that city attorneys would review and advised that further steps would follow legal review.

Why this matters: Complaints about elected officials’ behavior—especially allegations involving threats, doxxing, or possible misuse of public funds—pose reputational and legal risk for the city and can prompt recall efforts, internal ethics reviews, or law‑enforcement scrutiny.

Next steps: The city attorney will review complaint letters and advise the council about any legal or personnel steps. Residents asking for criminal referral should provide documentary evidence to law enforcement or the district attorney’s office, McAfee urged. The council scheduled no immediate criminal referral vote during the meeting.