The Beaumont City Council voted on Oct. 10 to create a bond facilitation committee and approved a 19-person list of appointees, after the council rejected a motion to table the item until after the November election.

The action matters because Beaumont is preparing its first bond election in 43 years; council members and residents raised concerns during the meeting about the timing and optics of appointing a committee before voters decide whether to approve bond propositions. The city attorney told the council the committee could not meet or use city resources before any portion of the bond passes.

Mayor opened the meeting defending his selection process and the proposed members, saying the appointments were lawful and intended to promote oversight. "There have been no secrets here," Mayor said, adding that the proposed members are "respected residents and leaders" who had volunteered time for the city. He said the committee was intended to provide transparency about who would oversee projects "if any part of it passes."

Several council members said their objections were about optics and timing rather than the individuals named. Councilmember Williams said he preferred to delay appointments until after the election: "My opinion is that I would prefer to see this take place post election, to keep it clear," Williams said, citing constituent concerns that forming a committee before the vote could be perceived as advocacy. Councilmember Hilliard likewise described the issue as "optics" and said the process had felt rushed to some residents.

Assistant City Manager Boone read the agenda item and confirmed the resolution was submitted for council consideration without an administration recommendation. The city attorney (Shure) told councilmembers the committee would be prohibited from meeting, gathering or receiving instruction from the city prior to the election and would not be active unless a bond proposition or a portion of it passed.

Councilmember Polk moved to table the item until the meeting immediately following the election; the motion received a second but the motion to table failed on a voice vote. After the failed table motion, Councilmember Crenshaw moved to establish a bond facilitation committee and read a list of 19 names to be appointed. The council voted to change the name from "bond oversight committee" to "bond facilitation committee," and a subsequent vote approved the list of proposed members. The mayor closed the meeting after council comments.

The names approved for the bond facilitation committee, as read into the record, were: Guy Goodson (chair), Dr. Jaime Taylor, Brad Brown, Dr. John Adolf, Dr. Sid Valentine, Dalen Turner, Fred Zeno, Don King, Justin Doss, Roy Steinhagen, Arthur Lewis, John Eugene, Tanya Castellon, Pat Parsons, Gigi Sotalongo Mazola, LaShawn Proctor, Frank Messina, Andrew (James) Edwards, and Terry Roy. The council recorded the motion to approve the names and the presiding officer announced that the motion carried.

The meeting included public comments and council discussion about Gap Strategies, the firm hired earlier to facilitate the bond process. Council and public speakers said Gap Strategies was the only respondent to the city's solicitation and that the firm had been paid $153,000 to act as bond facilitator; one councilmember said he had been the only vote against hiring the firm earlier in the year. Speakers referenced a recent Hays County court decision overturning a November 2024 bond election that the speaker said involved the Texas Open Meetings Act and facilitation concerns.

Councilmembers and staff clarified procedural and fiscal items during the discussion. A council speaker cited the city's public information showing a projected total repayment amount of about $478,000,000 assuming a 25-year repayment schedule and if all propositions pass; staff said that figure incorporated estimated interest and project assumptions and that actual market rates and final repayment schedules will be set when the city issues bonds.

The council's votes on Oct. 10 changed the committee's name and approved the membership list; the approved committee is prohibited from meeting or receiving city instruction until any portion of a bond passes and a staff member is assigned to support oversight if needed. The council adjourned after about 55 minutes.

Votes at a glance: the motion to table the committee until the post-election meeting failed; the motion to rename the body to "bond facilitation committee" carried; the motion to appoint the 19-member list carried. Specific roll-call tallies were not read into the record during the meeting.