Rockwall County moves into executive session on River Rock Trails apportionment costs and D.R. Horton appeal; no action taken

The Rockwall County Commissioners Court on April 29 recessed into executive session to consult with county counsel about apportionment costs for the River Rock Trails development and an appeal filed by D.R. Horton dated March 4, 2025. The court convened at 9:00 a.m., entered executive session at 9:06 a.m., and returned to open session at 11:58 a.m., at which time the court announced "no action taken." The meeting adjourned at 11:59 a.m.

During the public forum, Mayor Brian McNeil of McClendon Chisholm addressed the court about D.R. Horton, saying the company "don't wanna work with the cities nor do they even wanna work with the county" and that its conduct was "appalling at best." McNeil urged the county to "stay in the fight" and to review construction carefully, citing what he described as a pattern of construction-defect claims in other states and saying the company prioritized "dollars over people." These remarks were delivered as public comment; no formal action was taken in response at the meeting.

The court cited the Texas Open Meetings Act (Texas Government Code, chapter 551) and specifically referenced sections 551.071 through 551.076 when moving into executive session to "seek the advice of its attorney on apportionment cost appeal legal matters." No motions, votes, or policy decisions were recorded in the meeting minutes or on the transcript during open session.

The agenda item described the subject as "Discuss and act on order regarding apportionment costs for River Rock Trails and D.R. Horton appeal dated 03/04/2025 in all related issues." The transcript does not include details of the appeal, the apportionment calculation, any proposed orders, or any proposed changes to county policy; those matters were discussed in executive session and the court reported no action upon return to open session.

The court did not set a follow-up date or specify next steps in the open session transcript. The public record supplied with this meeting shows one registered public speaker and the times the court entered and exited executive session; other substantive details (such as cost amounts, legal arguments, or staff recommendations) are not specified in the public transcript.