After city officials earlier this year estimated Killeen road repairs could cost in excess of $150 million, members of the Killeen City Council have commented on a possible bond that
Killeen City Council members had mixed reactions to a former city council candidateâs controversial letter to the editor alleging discriminatory actions on the part of the council.
Chairwoman of the Killeen Senior Advisory Board and former council candidate Patsy Bracey, 76, of Killeen, wrote a letter to the editor on Wednesday, published in Saturdayâs edition of the Herald, which asserted that the seven-member Killeen city council favored one race and culture.
âI have great concern for the appointed leadership of my community,â Bracey wrote. âWe have inexperienced city council members with little or no knowledge of the city ordinances. They seem to be supporting only one culture and race. This is very disappointing to me, since Killeen is a very diverse community. Addressing community situations seems to be for one, not all. Other cultures have stated fear of approaching the council for possible discrimination.â
When the vote was called on Tuesday evening to continue looking into municipal election issues, the six council members present pushed their button to cast their ballot.
The screen inside council chambers flashed, âvotedâ next to every memberâs name except for Councilmember Debbie Nash-King, who had left early due to a prior commitment, and Mayor Jose Segarra, who only votes when there is a tie.
City Secretary Lucy Aldrich said, âThereâs a tie, Mayor Segarra. You need to vote.â
âI vote âno,â so letâs move on,â the mayor said. âThank you. Iâm glad it was a tie.â
In the three weeks since the municipal elections ended, questions of election impropriety have lingered in Killeen. Dozens of registered voters on four city streets were put in the wrong districts on the voter rolls, at least seven cast their ballot in the wrong district, and District 4 â the race where most of the issues occurred â ended in a tie.
At Tuesdayâs Killeen City Council meeting City Attorney Traci Briggs delivered a presentation unveiling the cityâs findings into what went wrong in the May 1 elections. It was supposed to provide clarity. It was supposed to provide closure.
Instead, it raised new questions, including how the rolls didnât match the number of votes cast in Precinct 404 in District 4 and who determined the limited scope of questions.