Jeffrey Murray tells council a member's rezoning outburst showed bias against new businesses

At the start of the meeting’s public-comment period, resident Jeffrey Murray addressed the council to criticize a council member he identified as "Moll" for remarks Murray described as an "emotional outburst" at a previous rezoning meeting.

Murray, who said he lives in the Southwest Ward, told the council he watched the Aug. 20 rezoning discussion and objected to comments he said diverted the conversation from rezoning to topics such as food trucks, noise and rodents. "Your comment during the last council meeting that someday all the old people will die was very telling," Murray said, accusing the council member of relying on emotion rather than facts.

Murray also referenced a Feb. 24, 2023, radio interview in which he said the council member discussed personal zoning trouble as a motivation for running for office; Murray argued that signaled personal interest rather than public service. He urged the council to remember its oath to "protect, honor, defend, and serve all citizens of Nacogdoches" and to support young entrepreneurs seeking to build businesses in the city.

The mayor closed public comment and the council proceeded to a scheduled budget hearing; the transcript contains no on-the-record rebuttal from the council member Murray named.

The council later continued with the agenda and ultimately postponed action on the proposed budget to Sept. 17. Murray’s remarks were recorded during the open-forum portion of the evening and did not trigger any immediate formal action by the council.