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Mayor Thurman Bartie’s bid to ask the voters to allow the city’s economic development corporation to change the types of projects they can perform stalled and failed after much discussion and questions on the legality of his request.

The ordinance in question called for a “special election May 3 to submit a proposition to authorize the Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation to undertake categories of projects authorized under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 505.”

The PAEDC is a Type A sales tax corporation and is mainly used for industrial and manufacturing-type projects. Type B projects include sports and athletic facilities, tourism and entertainment facilities, public parks, related stores, restaurants, concessions, parking and related streets, water, sewer, and affordable housing.

Mayor Pro Tem Doneane Beckcom asked who authored the ordinance. 

“It is my understanding the EDC board needed to consider this and vote on it and bring it to council and that hasn’t happened,” Beckcom said. 

Port Arthur City Attorney Roxann Pais Cotroneo said the PAEDC Board Attorney Charles Zeck drafted the ballot language. 

Beckcom asked if this was proper procedure — for the PAEDC attorney to draft the ballot language as opposed to the city’s attorney.

“As city attorney,verb I’m responsible for taking direction from the governing body as an entire unit and you may authorize me and form me and instruct me to propose and prepare something for you, Cotroneo said. “The governing body did not ask me to prepare this ordinance. I did not prepare it. It came from Charles Zeck at the request of the mayor to be placed on the agenda.”

Cotroneo said there are many layers to proper procedure. The mayor has the authority to place items on the agenda but this ordinance to be considered was not prepared by the city attorney.

The city can perform Type B projects if a project/projects are approved by voters. No specific project was in the ballot verbiage.

Resident Raymond Scott Jr. called out the issue for lack of transparency and not allowing citizens to follow the process though he is in favor of Type B projects. At one point Bartie called for Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso to remove Scott from council chambers because Scott continued to talk when Bartie was trying to talk. The issue was settled and Scott was not removed from the room.

Bartie reminded the council of Zeck’s visit about a year ago where the attorney provided information on Type A and Type B EDC’s and to bring Zeck information he had gathered from traveling around the country to see how EDC’s are operating in the 21st century.

Beckcom spoke again on the legality of Bartie using the EDC attorney and not the city attorney to draft the ballot language. As she spoke Bartie once again called Duriso, this time to remove Beckcom suggesting Duriso bring her to get some water then she could return. 

Beckcom was not removed from the meeting.

Cotroneo was eventually asked if anything had been done illegally.

“Nothing was done illegally but there is a difference between legal procedures and political procedures,” she said.

A vote was taken and the measure failed.