Brookshire Council Adopts Amended 2024–25 Budget, Removing City Administrator Post

The Brookshire City Council voted to adopt an amended fiscal year 2024–25 budget on Sept. 26 that eliminates the budgeted line for the city administrator position and includes several personnel and program adjustments.

Council members moved and seconded the amended budget and recorded four votes in favor and one opposed. A council member clarified during debate that the amended budget specifically removes funding for the city administrator position and includes other changes discussed earlier in the meeting. The council recorded Alderman McAnnally as voting against the measure.

Public commenters urged caution before eliminating the post. Juanita McFarland Kennedy, who said she has campaigned for several council members and remains actively involved in the community, argued the city administrator's work had produced tangible savings and operational improvements: she stated the administrator had "a whole book of accomplishments," cited payroll adjustments, budget balancing and a refund given to a resident, and warned that eliminating the position would set the city "backwards." Pastor Willie Johnson also asked council to consider residents' perspectives and the effect on public services.

Council discussion leading up to the vote addressed several personnel and funding reallocations included in the amended budget. Proposals discussed and included in the amended budget packet were promotion of Clint Taylor to public works director, reassignment of an administrative position to support the mayor/city secretary, hiring a full-time community outreach liaison, contracting animal control services, hiring a full-time grant writer, and adding bilingual pay for a position. Council members also moved to remove a transitional transmittal letter from the budget packet after staff agreed the letter contained inaccurate information.

Following the vote, the council directed staff to finalize the amended budget documents and to bring back any necessary implementing paperwork. The meeting record indicates no further formal action resulting from the council's executive session and the meeting adjourned later that evening.