Crockett residents press council for CEIDC transparency as city moves into executive session

Crockett residents on Tuesday evening pressed the City Council to address alleged mismanagement at the Crockett Economic and Industrial Development Corporation, with several commenters calling for transparency, recusals and follow‑through on a forensic audit.

"The outrageous spending without some tangible results" and a lack of resolution after a forensic audit were central complaints, an unidentified resident told the council, urging leaders to adopt recommendations from an internal‑affairs review and to ensure CEIDC serves the entire county. Another public commenter warned council members about their oath and anti‑bribery statements, saying reinstating or hiring officials in exchange for votes could amount to perjury and carry criminal penalties.

Sam James, a public commenter, urged councilors to disclose possible conflicts and recuse themselves from CEIDC-related votes, citing ethics guidance and Texas law. "Where there is a conflict of interest, a representative has the responsibility to recuse themselves or abstain from a vote," James said. He also criticized the council's recent denial of a tax‑exemption request, saying the decision could have affected jobs and childcare services.

Council business that evening included a brief recognition of a productive budget workshop earlier in the day, but the meeting concluded its public‑comment period by moving the matter of the CEIDC internal affairs review to a closed attorney consultation. The presiding officer announced the council would enter executive session under Government Code 551.071 to consult with the city attorney about a corrective‑action plan related to the CEIDC and asked members to excuse themselves for the closed discussion.

The public commenters framed their appeals as calls for oversight rather than policy proposals: they asked the council to enforce rules or administrative directives to hold the CEIDC board accountable, to publish the forensic‑audit findings and to ensure future votes are free of conflicts. No formal vote on remedial measures occurred before the session was recessed; the council said it would reconvene after the attorney consultation.

The meeting record contains repeated references to the CEIDC (also transcribed as 'EIDC' or 'CIDC' in places) and to legal authorities, including Government Code 551.071 and a public commenter’s citation of Texas Local Government Code section 171 on conflicts and an ethics passage cited from the federal standards on impartiality.

Next steps: the council moved the matter into executive session for attorney consultation on the internal‑affairs review and corrective‑action plan for the CEIDC; a public update was not given in the public portion of the meeting before adjournment into the closed session.