La Marque residents allege fraud and misuse of grant funds; council recesses into executive session on city manager

Several residents of La Marque, Texas, used the council's public-comment period to raise allegations of falsified applications, misused grant money and other misconduct, and the City Council recessed into executive session to deliberate personnel matters concerning the city manager.

The public comment session featured multiple speakers alleging wrongdoing by elected officials and city employees. Robert Harvey, a La Marque resident, said he and others have “publicly exposed councilman Lowery” and alleged unlawful conduct by that council member and others. Harvey also said a city employee, “J B Pritchett,” was accused of “stealing valor and lying on official government documents” and that police were investigating vandalism at that employee’s home that “police now suspect he may have staged,” which Harvey added was alleged.

Why it matters: Speakers asked the council to verify applications, background checks and grant records and to hold officials accountable. Several commenters said criminal or independent investigations had not progressed and urged the council or its Economic Development Corporation to act.

During public comment Hailey Winkelman, who identified herself as the person who filed a recall petition for the council member from District C, said she had uncovered what she called “proof of lying on grant applications” and called for the council to “pull everyone’s applications” and verify backgrounds and education. Vanessa McAfee repeated calls for scrutiny of a $50,000 grant tied to a council member’s business and asked whether the district attorney would pursue a complaint if the EDC would not.

Other speakers raised additional concerns about city administration. Robert Mstich alleged discrepancies in the city manager’s employment records and unpaid invoices tied to previously awarded grants. A speaker who identified himself as Bill Blevins described a persistent street and drainage problem in his neighborhood attributed to recent subdivision construction and said city maintenance had deemed the situation “too expensive” to fix despite verification that the area had a “huge hole” under his driveway.

Several speakers named programs, projects or places discussed during comments: a $50,000 grant that commenters said was awarded to a council member’s business (details not specified in the record), about $4,100,000 that a speaker said was spent on a lift station for the Woodhaven Legacy development, unpaid invoices “for millions of dollars” for grant work (amounts not specified), and the Palomino Ranch subdivision where overweight trucks and roadway damage were reported.

Council action: The council announced it would recess into executive session under provisions of the Texas Government Code — including §551.071 (consultation with attorney), §551.072 (real property), §551.073 (gifts/donations), §551.074 (personnel matters), §551.076 (security devices) and §551.087 (economic development). The presiding officer stated the council was specifically recessing under §551.074(a) to deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline or dismissal of the city manager and under §551.074 to hear a complaint or charge against the city manager; the council said it would recess at "03:25."

What the record does and does not show: Speakers repeatedly described allegations and urged verification of records; multiple speakers said criminal complaints or investigations had stalled (for example, that the district attorney would not move forward and that the EDC had not pursued action). The transcript does not record any formal findings, criminal charges, staff responses providing documentary evidence, or any public vote on personnel actions. The council’s public record in this transcript ends after the announcement that it was recessing into executive session at 03:25.

Quotations from the record include: Robert Harvey: “I have publicly exposed councilman Lowery. I've personally proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he has broken the law against me…” Hailey Winkelman: “I am verifying everything. If we don't have a valid background check in the past 12 months, we need 1.” Vanessa McAfee: “Does a criminal complaint need to be filed? Does a… do we need to have a third party investigator?”

Ending: The council moved into executive session; the transcript provided no subsequent public action or vote. Additional documentary records or later meeting minutes would be required to determine whether the council or other authorities opened formal investigations or took personnel action.