Universal City council appoints William Shelby to fill vacant seat after three votes

Universal City — The Universal City City Council appointed William Shelby to fill an unexpired 2025–2027 council term at a special meeting that followed an executive session on a personnel matter.

The council made the appointment after three separate motions and rounds of voting. Two prior motions to appoint other candidates failed on recorded roll-call votes; the third motion naming Shelby was approved and the council adjourned after the swearing-in was scheduled.

City officials said the council moved into executive session under the personnel exception to the Texas open meetings law, citing Texas Government Code Section 551.074, before returning to the public meeting to consider appointments. "This is a special meeting to appoint to fill a council vacancy for the unexpired ... term," the mayor said when opening the meeting.

Nut graf: The council considered multiple nominees and held three formal votes before selecting Shelby. The process included public roll-call votes recorded in the meeting transcript; two motions failed and the final motion to appoint Shelby carried.

In the first vote, a motion to appoint Patrick Day (moved by an unnamed council member and seconded) was defeated on roll call. The roll call recorded Vaughn and Roval voting "aye" and Goldsby, Mayor Pro Tem Fitzpatrick and Pott voting "no." "Patrick got 36 percent of the people who went into the polls pulled the lever for Patrick and I think that's not an insignificant amount and I think we should be taking that into consideration heavily," an unnamed council member said in support of Day.

A second appointment motion (motion text not specified in the public transcript) also failed. The recorded roll call for that failed motion shows Council member Ball and Council member Vaughn voting "aye," and Mayor Pro Tem Fitzpatrick, Council member Goldsby and Council member Puck voting "no."

The third motion nominated William Shelby by resolution (resolution number cited in the transcript as "9832025"). That motion was seconded and passed. During discussion supporters recalled Shelby's previous council service and budget experience. One council member said, "I watched William for 8 years on council and . . . I always felt that he was fair," and another said Shelby had "the vision for the city that it moves along in the direction that I see the city going." A separate council member said she would vote no, citing past disagreements and concerns about council temperature and conduct.

After the final vote the presiding officer announced, "Motion carried," and the mayor said the newly appointed member would be sworn in on Tuesday night.

Votes at a glance - Motion to appoint Patrick Day (moved by unnamed council member; resolution number cited in motion: 9832025 in transcript): Failed. Roll call (as recorded): Vaughn — aye; Roval — aye; Goldsby — no; Mayor Pro Tem Fitzpatrick — no; Pott — no. - Second appointment motion (text not specified in transcript): Failed. Roll call (as recorded): Ball — aye; Vaughn — aye; Mayor Pro Tem Fitzpatrick — no; Goldsby — no; Puck — no. - Motion to appoint William Shelby (moved and seconded; transcript cites resolution number 9832025): Approved (motion carried). Specific roll-call tallies beyond recorded remarks were not specified in the public transcript.

What the council said and why it mattered Council members who supported Shelby pointed to his previous eight years on the council and experience with budget sessions. Those opposing his appointment pointed to past controversial proposals and concerns about council dynamics and interpersonal conduct. Several speakers urged nominees who were not appointed to remain involved in city boards, commissions and workshops and to run in the next regular election.

Procedural and legal context The council invoked the personnel exception in Texas Government Code Section 551.074 to go into executive session to consider filling the vacancy. On returning to open session, members made and voted on appointment motions in public. The meeting record shows the council followed roll-call procedure for each formal vote.

Ending After the successful motion, the mayor announced arrangements for the swearing-in and adjourned the meeting.