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Beaumont council rejects city manager’s pick for police chief after heated public comment
Summary
After hours of public testimony about residency and past allegations of racial discrimination, Beaumont City Council voted 4-3 to reject City Manager Kenneth R. Williams’s recommendation for police chief. The council will not confirm Troy Price and the selection process continues.
BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont City Council voted 4-3 on Feb. 12 to reject City Manager Kenneth R. Williams’s recommendation for police chief after an extended public-comment period in which residents and community groups debated the merits and record of candidates.
The vote followed a day of testimony both defending and criticizing the candidate identified in public remarks as an assistant chief from Beaumont. Mayor Roy West voted to reject the manager’s recommendation, joined by Council members Getz, Phil Shaw and Neal; Mayor Pro Tem Turner and Council members Durio and Samuel voted to sustain the manager’s choice.
The dispute centered on competing priorities: several speakers and the Beaumont Police Officers Association defended promoting from…
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