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Public comment accuses council member of online harassment; residency challenge of mayor rejected in council action
Summary
Public commenters accused a council member of posting private information and impersonating a police officer online; later in the meeting a motion to remove the mayor for alleged residency violations was advised as not properly noticed and no removal occurred. Council adopted a motion that residency challenges not be raised again unless the mayor loses his homestead exemption.
Public commenters used the citizens’ participation period at the Oct. 28 meeting to air allegations against a council member and to seek ethics action. A speaker identifying himself as Bruce alleged that a council member—named in the comments as Joseph Lowery—had posted citizens’ personal information online and "presented himself as a police officer" (including a badge number), and urged the council to investigate. Robert Harvey followed, calling the council member "a bully" and saying Lowery had posted mugshots and other material to intimidate critics.
Council acknowledged the complaints and noted that the Texas Open Meetings Act prevents deliberation about personnel during public comment; staff and legal processes were flagged for follow up. Later in the meeting, an apparently related personnel/residency matter was discussed in executive session. A motion to remove Mayor Keith Bell for alleged residency violations was made in open session but the city attorney advised that removal had not been properly noticed on the posted agenda. Councilmember James Ross cited county tax records showing the mayor maintained a homestead exemption in La Marque and argued the mayor met residency requirements.
Following debate, council voted on a separate motion that residency complaints about the mayor not be raised again unless the mayor loses his homestead exemption or other definitive documentation is provided. That motion carried by voice vote. No disciplinary removal or further action against the mayor was taken at that meeting; the public comments about alleged harassment were referred to staff and legal follow up as appropriate.
Quotations from the meeting included: "Joseph Lowery is a bully. He is harassing and threatening people online and posting people's addresses," a public commenter said during the public‑comment period. Mayor Keith Bell responded in open session that he retains a homestead exemption, a local voting address and other indicia of residency.
The council’s action resolved the immediate procedural dispute over whether to consider mayoral removal at that meeting and created a practical barrier to repeating that agenda item unless new evidence (for example, loss of a homestead exemption) appears.
