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Motion to Remove Planning and Zoning Commissioner Rob Ray Falls Short; Ray Remains on Commission
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Summary
Gun Barrel City Council considered removing Planning and Zoning Commissioner Rob Ray over attendance concerns but the motion failed to reach the supermajority required under the city charter; councilmembers debated Mr. Ray’s absences and his commitment to communicate going forward.
Gun Barrel City Council considered and voted on a motion to remove Planning and Zoning Commissioner Rob Ray for attendance-related concerns at a meeting (date not specified) in Gun Barrel City. The motion failed to reach the supermajority required under Section 8.01 of the city charter, and Ray remained on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The removal effort followed council discussion about Ray’s attendance record. One councilmember said, “you attended 2 out of 5,” and added the commissioner had “participated in 1,” and that the lack of advance notice had left the Planning and Zoning Commission without a quorum at a prior meeting. Ray acknowledged recent health problems, telling the council, “I really had a health problem for the last 2 months. … I miss the meetings because I miss the meetings,” and later said, “If you think I'm not responsible enough, then vote me off of it.”
Council members debated whether Ray could reliably attend future meetings and whether he would communicate absences in advance so staff and members could plan for quorum. Ray said he is not “a very big techie person” but has discussed communication methods with staff member Janet and said they are “in agreement” about how to be notified going forward.
A motion was made to remove Ray under Section 8.01 of the city charter; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Jacobs. The roll-call vote was recorded as: Edwards, yes; Jacobs, yes; Evans, no; Burns, yes. Because the motion did not reach the charter’s required supermajority, the council chair announced, “Mr. Ray, you're still on planning and zoning,” and thanked him for attending the meeting and for agreeing to improve communication.
The council did not adopt additional formal directions beyond the failed removal motion; the discussion ended with an expectation that Ray would notify the chairman or city secretary in advance of future absences so meeting planners could confirm quorums.
Background: The council cited Section 8.01 of the city charter as the authority invoked for removal. The transcript did not specify the precise supermajority threshold required by that section, only that a supermajority was needed and was not achieved.
Looking ahead: No follow-up motion or formal admonition was recorded on the transcript. Councilmembers asked Ray to commit to better communication and attendance going forward; Ray said he expects his health to improve and that he will coordinate with staff about notification methods.
