Bruceville-Eddy council candidates emphasize completing sewer work, backup power and water infrastructure

At a public candidate forum in Bruceville‑Eddy, candidates for city council said completing the town's sewer project and shoring up water and power infrastructure are top priorities for public health, economic development and emergency response.

The sewer project drew repeated attention. Incumbent council member Doris McLaughlin, who said she has served two years on the council, said the sewer will “be helpful to the economic growth of the city” and that finishing it properly will attract businesses. “It's already attracting business,” McLaughlin said during the forum.

Incumbent Richard Prater and candidate Melissa Futch also described infrastructure and emergency preparedness as priorities. Prater stressed the city must provide needed services while keeping costs down, saying the council must “provide for the city what they need.” He and other speakers raised the need for backup power at critical facilities and better storm warnings.

Prater said he is working to secure a generator for the local senior center, which serves as a warming, cooling and tornado shelter, and called for storm alarms and sirens. “We need that, especially with the flooding that's gone down south,” he said.

Candidates described existing budget planning but differed on spending approach. Futch said some infrastructure items have been budgeted and suggested using Economic Development Corporation (EDC) funds for certain downtown improvements rather than dipping into general reserves. McLaughlin and Prater said some generator work is already in the budget; participants discussed whether the city has or plans to purchase a rolling generator versus fixed installations, and speakers disagreed about how many units were available or budgeted.

An attendee and a forum speaker also said they were exploring federal surplus procurement options to obtain deployed military generators at reduced cost for municipal use; a forum participant described pursuing “authorization to get into the defense disposal system” to buy used generators at lower prices.

No formal decisions or votes were taken at the forum; candidates and residents discussed ongoing projects and budget priorities that would require council action and, in many cases, outside funding or procurement decisions.

Ending: Candidates said they would press the council to conclude the sewer work, to continue budgeting for water and power resilience, and to pursue sources of lower‑cost backup power. Several speakers encouraged residents to follow council meetings for updates on project timing and budgets.