Heath council canvasses election, approves consent items and several motions unanimously

The Heath City Council on May 13 voted unanimously to canvass the returns of the May 3 general municipal election and to accept related election paperwork, then completed a series of largely noncontroversial motions including consent items and executive-session-authorized real estate and personnel actions.

The canvass resolution formally declared the results of the general election for four council seats (places 1, 2, 4 and 6) and authorized issuance of the election canvas. Council then administered the oath of office to the newly elected members: Cynthia (Cindy) Horn (place 1), Johnny Myers (place 2), Michelle Thurgood (place 4) and Mitch (Mitch) Ombi (place 6). Virginia Hannon, district director for U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon, spoke briefly during public comment to congratulate the incoming officials.

Why it matters: canvassing finalizes municipal election results under state law and allows the newly elected officials to assume duties. The subsequent routine votes set the council’s immediate administrative and procurement posture and implemented executive-session decisions about property and interim leadership.

Key votes and outcomes

- Resolution canvassing the general municipal election (includes early voting ballots) — motion to approve passed unanimously. (Motion recorded on the record; vote: all aye.)

- Oaths of office — council administered oaths to four newly elected council members (no formal roll-call vote required for oath administration).

- Consent agenda: approval of minutes for April 22, 2025 (item 5a) — motion passed unanimously.

- Consent agenda: Resolution No. 250,513-A — purchase of TASER equipment and training services from Axon Enterprise, Inc., via Sourcewell cooperative purchasing — motion passed unanimously.

- Appointment of mayor pro tem — nomination and vote to appoint Councilman Scott Dodson as mayor pro tem passed unanimously.

- Real estate acquisition (executive session follow-up) — motion to approve a resolution authorizing the Heath Economic Development Corporation and Heath Municipal Benefits Corporation to execute a real estate sales contract with John Olin Buchanan and Sue Ellen Compton for approximately 2.8575 acres, and to authorize EDC/MBC officers to execute closing documents — motion passed unanimously.

- City manager matters (executive-session follow-up) — council authorized the mayor to negotiate and execute an employment agreement with the selected city manager candidate (motion passed unanimously) and appointed Chief Brandon Siri as interim city manager effective May 23, 2025 (motion passed unanimously).

What council said and procedural notes

Mayor and city staff opened the meeting by reading the canvass item into the record, then the mayor opened the motion and the council adopted the canvass resolution with an unanimous voice vote. The minutes and Axon purchase were approved on voice votes during the consent agenda after the chair clarified the motions covered both items.

The real estate resolution and the personnel motions were preceded by a closed executive session under the Texas Government Code (Chapter 551) and were returned to the open meeting for formal votes. The council recorded unanimous aye votes on those items when taken in open session.

Ending

All recorded votes on the items listed above passed unanimously. The meeting then proceeded to other agenda items (a substantive discussion about change orders for a well/water-line project and a nonaction discussion of the 2025 comprehensive plan) before convening to executive session and reconvening to adopt the executive-session-related motions above.