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Vendors and residents press Ennis commission for festival pay and transparency; contractor says invoices unpaid
Summary
Multiple public commenters at the Sept. 17 meeting urged the commission to address unpaid vendor invoices and the removal of Becky McCarty from a tourism role, with a contractor saying he has not been paid for event work; residents called for transparency about funds collected by nonprofit festival organizers.
Several Ennis residents and contractors used the Sept. 17 public‑comment period to press the commission for information and action on festival finances, unpaid invoices and personnel changes in the city’s tourism office.
Charlene Dykes Russell asked the commission to explain financial records for nonprofits tied to city festivals and whether funds raised by local 501(c)(3) groups were forwarded to event boards. "I would like to bring to light that if last year was at a loss... why did they wait until September to announce the cancellation? Why was the cancellation announced before the EDC could even meet..." Russell asked, pressing for clarity on revenues and expenditures tied to Lights of Ennis and related activities.
Contractor Jeff Krebs, who said he formerly owned Epicenter Productions and now runs Mesmeric Entertainment, told the commission he donated time and equipment to last year’s events and that his company has not been paid for recent festival contracts. "I have yet to be paid a single dime from the city of Ennis for any of that work," Krebs said. The mayor replied that staff in the tourism or development department would be asked to follow up on the invoices.
Other speakers offered public support for Becky McCarty, the city’s tourism director, calling her instrumental to festival success and urging the commission to consider reinstating her. David Rankin said he has seen McCarty at every festival and credited her with drawing visitors to Ennis; Sarah Beauregard and others described petitions and outreach in her favor.
Separately, David Espinal raised concerns about procurement for the Lights of Ennis project, saying two bids existed and raising questions about whether council saw both bids and whether warranty work had been completed. "Should we be concerned that city council is fraudulently presented 1 bid from someone with close ties to city employees?" he asked.
The public comments contained allegations about funds and procurement practices; Commissioners and staff did not resolve those questions during the meeting and asked staff to follow up. The mayor specifically told Krebs staff would attempt to contact him about payment of outstanding invoices.
Next steps: city staff said they would follow up on vendor invoices and provide additional information as requested; no formal motions or findings were made during the public‑comment period.
