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Candidates criticize council dysfunction; mixed views on strong-mayor versus city-manager model
Summary
Forum candidates described council divisions and varying support for the city’s strong-mayor charter; most opposed an immediate charter change but urged better collaboration and staff capacity.
At the Fort Bend Chamber forum, multiple candidates described ongoing divisions within the Stafford City Council and debated whether the city should consider switching from its current strong-mayor charter to a city-manager (council-manager) form of government.
Christopher Caldwell and others said Stafford had benefited historically from a strong mayor but acknowledged recent leadership and collaboration problems; Caldwell said structural change should be considered only if the city’s services and infrastructure decline. “In the future, if things do not progress…then I would like to revisit that,” he said.
Several candidates said they are not in favor of an immediate charter rewrite. Clay Foster and others argued that hiring a city manager or administrator — which candidates cited as likely to cost roughly $200,000–$250,000 in salary — is not financially prudent now and that the council should first explore an internal city-administrator role and operational efficiencies.
Other candidates criticized what they described as agenda-led council behavior and a lack of citizen-centered decision-making. One candidate said council meetings had become lengthy and divisive and that the city had brought in outside facilitation to address organizational problems.
Candidates consistently recommended improving collaboration, making regular data-driven decisions and protecting key city staff. Several suggested a short-term focus on operational improvements rather than immediate structural overhaul of the charter.
