Brookshire Mayor Joey Vaughn’s decision to allow that city’s public works director to use a city vehicle to commute to his Houston residence has drawn criticism from other council members of the cash-strapped city.
During Thursday’s city council meeting, Alderman Jimmy Sanders raised the issue, questioning whether it was within city policy to allow Public Works Director Alex Hixon to drive his city-issued truck to and from his Houston home.
Sanders said the issue was brought to his attention by residents concerned about the cost to the city, particularly at a time when the city was struggling with finances.
“In these tight times, I don’t see a need for it,” Sanders said.
He also questioned whether the practice violated city policy.
Vaughn said he gave Hixon permission to take his city vehicle home because Hixon was subject to after-hours call out. Vaughn also said city policy gave him authority to allow the practice.
Sanders pointed out that another provision of the city’s policy manual required on-call employees such as Hixon to live within a “reasonable commuting range” of the city, which the policy defined as 15 minutes.
“I think the commuting issue needs to be decided by this governing board,” Sanders said.
Alderwoman Kim Branch asked how often Hixon was called to back to Brookshire after normal working hours.
“How many times has he been asked to come out here on an emergency call,” Branch asked.
Vaughn said he recalled three times since Hixon’s was employed about a year ago. One time was following the city’s Cinco de Mayo festival, once for a ditch problem and once for a dead horse, the mayor said.
Branch questioned whether the horse call-out was actually an emergency.
“That dead horse laid there for two days,” she said.
Hixon, who was present in the audience, responded to several questions about his take-home use of the city truck. Hixon said he lived “just before you get to downtown” Houston and that it typically takes him 20 minutes to commute to work.
He also he filled the truck’s gas tank once a week, which seemed to spark some skepticism from council members and those in the audience.
Sanders pointed out previous public works directors had lived in other communities but did not drive a city vehicle home. He cited one who lived in Katy, but left his city truck in Brookshire and used a personal vehicle to commute to his residence.
City Attorney Loren Smith said there appeared to be a conflict between the two different provisions in city policy.
“The two policies probably need to be brought back to city council,” Smith recommended.
He also said council should “decide which way they want to go” and then enforce that policy.
Branch then made a formal motion that a new policy be drafted to resolve the conflict, and that the revised policy be brought back to the council for action “no later than the next meeting.”
Sanders seconded the motion, which was then approved on a 3-1 voted.
Branch, Sanders and Alderman Eric Green voted in favor, while Alderman Lyndon Stamps cast the only dissenting vote.
Sanders then made a motion to suspend the take-home use of the city vehicle by the public works director be suspended until the conflict was resolved. That motion was also approved, again on a 3-1 vote with Stamps voting “no.”
Mayor Pro Tem Marilyn Vaughn was not present for the meeting.
