TAFT, Texas — After several delays due to a lack of quorum, the Taft City Council addressed more than a dozen agenda items in its first meeting of the new year.
In December, three meetings were canceled in just over a month because of insufficient attendance, after Alderman Alonzo Molina indicated he would not attend. Molina was not present for Wednesday’s meeting either, but the council moved forward.
During public comment, former council member Chris Keeney told the council it lacked a quorum and said the meeting was illegal, citing local government code. Mayor Elida Castillo responded that the meeting was legal based on a 1989 lawsuit.
The suit, Miguel Garcia vs. City of Taft, stated that “the mayor may make motions, second motions, and vote on all matters for decision, not only in the event of a tie.” According to Castillo, legal advice provided to the city made it clear the mayor counts toward quorum and that the lawsuit overrides the cited government code.
Following public comment, the council voted to table several agenda items so Molina could be part of the discussion. Of the items approved, the council voted to amend a prior ordinance that required a deadline for items to be placed on the agenda and reinstated two monthly meetings to be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.
Several items on Wednesday’s agenda pertained to City Manager Ryan Smith, though many were also tabled. Smith was not in attendance.
As previously reported, Smith sued Mayor Elida Castillo and the Taft City Council over a meeting with city employees that he said interfered with his duties. In December, a San Patricio County district judge denied Smith’s request for a temporary injunction but also declined to dismiss the lawsuit.
One item related to Smith passed unanimously, calling on the city manager’s $25,000 surety bond to cover the city’s legal expenses in the lawsuit. A surety bond is a written agreement, often required by law, to guarantee performance or payment of another company’s obligation under a separate contract or compliance with a law or regulation.
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