BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL CRITICAL OF ELECTION ‘VITRIOL’, ‘MISINFORMATION’
Members of the Brenham City Council were vocal today (Thursday) about their disappointment in the attitudes and rhetoric on display by some in the public during this election cycle.
of Thursday's city council meeting about the May
3rd election, condemning the "misinformation"
being spread.
During the administrative reports section of today’s council meeting, Councilmember Dr. Paul LaRoche III decried the “backstabbing”, “vitriol” and “vindictiveness” occurring for the May 3rd elections, saying it has been “really, really, really disappointing.”
Mayor Atwood Kenjura echoed Dr. LaRoche’s comments, saying there has been a “lot of misinformation” shared. Specifically, he made note of a post from a local organization that called on voters to vote against each of the 12 charter amendment propositions on the city ballot.
The organization in question was not named by Kenjura or the council during today’s meeting.
An advertisement by the Washington County Republican Women was posted to the group’s Facebook page Wednesday evening about the charter election. The post states that the propositions are “contradictory and confusing” and claims the public was not made aware of the proposals in a timely manner.
Kenjura said the city has had a total of eight public meetings dating back to February 2024 that have covered the subject of the charter amendments, from workshops discussing the language of the amendments to the votes officially calling the charter amendment election.
The post also says the amendments “raise salaries yet decrease duties” and “place power in the hands of one person”, referencing proposals to raise mayor and council salaries and allow the city manager, rather than the city council, to set and approve surety bonds for appointed officers and employees.
Kenjura acknowledged that some of the propositions will understandably warrant debate, but others, like making corrections to grammar and spelling or setting election dates in conjunction with the uniform date authorized by state law, are “a no-brainer.”
City Secretary Jeana Bellinger said she has created charter voter education books that are available both in hard copy at her office and online at www.cityofbrenham.org. The books break down each of the 12 propositions, what it means to vote yes or no on them, and any budget impact they carry.
Kenjura said that no one has come by to pick up a physical copy and believes it is “an insult” to the council and Bellinger to call for votes against all of the propositions without knowing what they all mean.
Mr. Ehlert,
Like many concerned and working Brenhamites, I could not attend the council meetings this semester. The afternoon timing conflicts with my teaching responsibilities. That will not be a problem moving forward as my supervisors have adjusted my duties, enabling my attendance at afternoon meetings starting just after the election.
As I said in the KWHI forum, I am committed to making sure that concerned citizens, especially working folks with traditional schedules, can participate in the meetings, whether in person or by having the meetings recorded and made more readily available online.
I say this. All need to go. They holding us back. They holding our kids back. They just want to rule over us. Not one person in our community officials are doing anything good for us or our kids. I am a conservative. And I think we all should rethink about this. Like the government that runs our country. The senators and the congressmen. I do believe that we need to vote every single one out and start over. Let’s all get new blood in our communities to run our county and city. We need better infrastructure, justice and accountability for our communities and children. To me they need power to themselves. That’s what I think
The problem is they don’t want the new blood. They want it the way things were 50 years ago. And don’t get me wrong, there are certain aspects of that that are appealing, but it’s 2025; times are changing, growth is here and more is coming, both in the city, the county, and the school district, and it’s time to accept that, embrace it, and make the best of it. The irony of it all is that the growth is bringing the money, which they all want, but they don’t want the growth, just the money. Eventually they will have to accept the fact that the new money that is coming in has expectations in return for their money. Until then, nothing will change. It will be the same old, same old. People will be here griping and complaining that people are trying to affect change and they don’t want it.
I respect your passion for wanting better for our community and kids—many of us feel that same urgency. But I have to ask, where do you get off saying “not one person in our community officials are doing anything good for our kids” and that we’re “holding them back”? That’s simply not true, and honestly, it’s offensive to those of us who have rolled up our sleeves and gotten to work.
When BISD shut down for exposure during COVID, I personally coordinated with restaurants and community members to provide free lunches to local children. I’m also the Vice President of the Boys & Girls Club and dedicate my time to ensuring kids have a safe, positive place to grow. On top of that, two years ago I launched a program focused on teaching young girls the values of strong leadership and self-worth.
You’re absolutely entitled to your opinions, and I agree that we need accountability and improved infrastructure but please don’t paint everyone with the same brush. There are people in this community working tirelessly behind the scenes, and we deserve to be recognized for that, not dismissed with blanket statements.
Based on what I have been told. neither Soman or Lehmann have attended a city council meeting. Not a good look at all.