Crockett council removes three CEIDC directors after dispute over a signed document and alleged open‑meetings violation

The Crockett City Council voted to remove three members of the Crockett Economic Industrial Development Corporation (CEIDC) board after council members said a document signed by three directors was submitted while the board was suspended and thus may have violated the Texas Open Meetings Act.

Katrina Hicks, speaking as a CEIDC director, told the council she and other directors "are being retaliated against because we submitted a request to the city attorney for legal counsel" and said the board had been suspended from duties. Hicks asked the council to document her statement in the minutes and said directors were being compelled to violate corporate bylaws.

During the council discussion staff and council members described the immediate issue as whether a document bearing three board signatures was generated while the corporation was not active. City staff said a submitted document with three signatures met the technical definition of an official act and raised open‑meetings concerns. Some commenters and at least one board member disputed the factual claim that the board had met collectively and said the bylaws allow directors to request counsel.

After debate a councilmember moved to remove the three directors who had signed the petition/document; the motion was seconded and passed. The council chair said notifications would be sent to the three members.

The council’s action responds to process concerns the mayor framed as an Open Meetings Act matter; the transcript records debate about whether the bylaws or the Open Meetings Act should govern the resolution and whether board members had been instructed to follow certain procedures.

The council did not record further remedial steps in the hearing beyond removal and notification; the transcript does not record responses from the removed directors after the vote.