NOTE: TownTalk Media has provided a copy of the audio of the City Council meeting on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at the end of the article.
The Brownfield City Council met on Thursday morning, May 8, 2025, with a full house of city employees in attendance. After the call to order, invocation, and pledges, Mayor Eric Horton moved the public comment section (item #1) down the agenda to follow item #7 and precede item #8.
Next, the Council approved the minutes from the April 17, 2025, meeting. Following this approval, the Council certified the results of the May 3rd Municipal Election. While there were no contested races, the Council did canvass and certify the results of Proposition A.
The Council then proceeded to have the new council members take the oath of office and be seated. Since Mark Williams, the previous District 5 Councilmember, had refiled for a position, the Council needed to appoint someone to fill the District 5 seat. Mayor Horton recommended Brad Dingus, while Councilman At-Large Tom Hesse suggested Ray McFarland. A motion was made to appoint McFarland as the District 5 councilman, and this was approved by a vote of 3-2. McFarland will take the oath of office during the next scheduled council meeting.
The Council began by electing a Mayor Pro Tem, which is typically the first order of business for a new Council. This official serves a one-year term and takes on the responsibilities of the mayor when the mayor is out of town or otherwise unavailable. The Mayor Pro Tem often represents the mayor at ceremonial events and is usually seated to the right of the mayor at the Council table. Mayor Horton recommended JC Tijerina for the position. Councilman Hesse made a motion to appoint Councilman Tijerina as Mayor Pro Tem, and Councilman Lee Gamez seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous, 5-0, in favor of Councilman Tijerina as Mayor Pro Tem.
Next, Mayor Horton opened the floor for public comments. Seven individuals spoke, and two written comments were submitted. Six of the speakers were from the Brownfield Police Department and three from the Brownfield Fire & Rescue Department. The first speaker was Adrian Alvarez from the Police Department, who expressed concern over the removal of “holiday pay.” Next was Alyssa Perez, also from the Police Department, who stated that city management lacks support for the police. She pointed out, “One simple way the city could’ve supported the police department would have been to advertise our recent outreach event, ‘Coffee with the Cops.’ We requested multiple times for it to be posted on the city’s social media, but it was never advertised.” Alyssa also mentioned the loss of holiday pay.
The following five speakers included William Bloom from the Police Department, Dylan Whitworth from the Fire & Rescue Department, Britt Shaw from the Fire & Rescue Department, Randi Truelock from the Police Department, and Virgie Sprague from the Police Department. They all raised concerns about the lack of holiday pay. Mayor Horton then read written comments from Henry Unger from the Fire & Rescue Department and Kitha Tankersley from the Police Department, both expressing similar concerns regarding holiday pay.
Also, during each comment, those that were voiced and written, more concerns came out other than the holiday pay. Dylan Whitworth with the FRD spoke about his concerns that the fire department is understaffed. He said, “Almost every other fire department runs at least a three-man engine… we can barely fill two seats without having to rely on our volunteer staff who saves us several times.” Whitworth also like others who spoke feel like the city leadership does not support the FRD and PD saying, “There’s growing sense amongst our ranks that city leadership doesn’t truly see us or hear us and this hurts.”
Britt Shaw was next to speak and she began asking each city employee to stand. She then said as they stood, “I want you to know that you have the first amendment right to speak at this meeting and any reprimands for doing so would in retaliation… against the law and means for immediate dismissal.” Shaw also spoke about other concerns, stating that city employees should not be taunted or threatened at any time. She said, “Employees should not be afraid to speak… city management shouldn’t speak poorly about employees so loudly that others can hear them and they shouldn’t yell at employees and slam doors.”
According to the Texas Attorney General’s office, state law prohibits the mayor and council members from responding to public comments during the meeting.
After the public comments, the Council then discussed the city boards and the current openings. A list of open seats and potential appointments was provided, and the Council plans to take action on city board appointments at the next scheduled meeting.
The Council then moved on to approve two scholarships. On January 16, 2020, they adopted guidelines for one open scholarship available to residents of Brownfield, Texas, and additional scholarships for children of City of Brownfield employees. Each scholarship amounts to $500 per semester, along with a laptop. The recipients of these scholarships were Alyssa Cavazos and Melady Olivas.
Next, Fire Chief James Woolard presented the Fire Department’s quarterly report. Chief Woolard informed the Council that there were a total of 72 calls from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. Of these, 49 calls were in the city and 23 in the county. The Brownfield Fire and Rescue Department responded to 25 vehicle accidents, with several lift assists, 11 structure fires, six alarms, four smoke events, four gas leaks, three vehicle fires, two CO2 calls, and one each of the following: a trash fire, a service call, and a rescue. The Council approved the quarterly report.
Municipal Judge David Cox then presented his quarterly report. Judge Cox reported that there were 324 new cases filed, with 227 dispositions (pleaded guilty or no contest), 120 warrants issued, and 48 capias pro-fines (citations paid after a warrant was issued). There were also 50 magistrate warnings, eight juveniles handled, four emergency detention orders, and 67 jail credit cases. The total case revenue amounted to $57,062.00, with $33,755.00 going to the city and $23,305.00 to the state.
The Council then addressed the next item, which involved changing an ordinance that regulates “right-of-way construction” times. The new hours will be from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM instead of 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. City Manager Jeff Davis explained that this change is necessary so that if a construction company were to hit a water main, gas main, or cause any damage, the proper city departments could respond and make repairs promptly, avoiding work occurring in the evening. The new ordinance was approved.
Next was a non-action item to discuss a new ordinance requiring temporary access to maintain circulation around dead-end streets near Gillham/Howell Lake (also known as Duck Pond). The Council will vote on this ordinance at the next meeting.
The Council then addressed another non-action item involving the scheduling of a meeting with the Brownfield Industrial Development Corporation Board to review the new bylaws for the newly established Type B Economic Development Corporation, which was approved in the May 3rd election.
Lastly, the Council went into an executive (closed-door) session, and no action was taken. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 7:30 AM in the Council Chambers at City Hall.