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Residents press Ennis commission on festival finances, unpaid invoices and tourism director controversy
Summary
During public comment residents raised questions about finances for the Lights of Ennis and other festivals, including conflicting revenue figures and unpaid contractor invoices; several speakers urged transparency and others spoke in strong support of tourism director Becky McCarty.
Multiple residents used the public‑comment period at the Sept. 17 Ennis City Commission meeting to press the city on festival finances, unpaid contractor invoices and recent personnel decisions in the tourism office.
"So which is the truth? $147, $122 or $200,000?" asked Charlene Dykes Russell, citing open‑records disclosures and asking why the cancellation of an event was announced in September if the nonprofit that ran it had covered costs, as she alleged. Russell said she had obtained multiple, differing financial statements for Ennis Main Street and related 501(c)(3) entities and asked the commission to clarify where donated funds had gone.
David Espinal, a resident who identified his address as 105 Orchard Acres Court, said he had found two differing bids for the downtown lights project and alleged the city had shown only one bid to the council before awarding the contract. "Should we be concerned that city council is fraudulently presented 1 bid from someone with close ties to city employees?" he asked, saying the $1.64 million contractor payment included amounts beyond the original contract and that the installation has been nonfunctional for months.
Jeff Krebs, who said he formerly owned Epicenter Productions and now runs Mesmeric Entertainment, told the commission he had donated labor and equipment to festival setups and that his company has unpaid invoices from the city. "I have yet to be paid a single dime from the city of Ennis for any of that work," Krebs said, and asked staff to follow up on invoices.
Several other speakers used their three‑minute remarks to voice strong support for tourism director Becky McCarty, describing her as the driving force behind festivals that bring visitors and revenue to Ennis. David Rankin said he had provided personal equipment and labor to previous festivals and asked the commission to reinstate Becky, calling her "tireless" and central to the city’s festival success.
Mayor Cameron Rayburn and staff did not announce formal actions in response to the public comments. City staff acknowledged open‑records requests and said they would follow up with the affected departments. The commission did not take immediate action on the financial questions raised; Mayor Rayburn said citizen concerns could be addressed by staff or placed on a future agenda.
The public record shows a mix of allegations (questions about missing or inconsistent financial statements and contract performance) and defense/support from other citizens; the commission did not adjudicate those claims during the meeting.
