‘This is an embarrassment’: Residents upset as Arcola city council meeting ends abruptly again

ARCOLA – Another Arcola City Council meeting ended prematurely Tuesday night after two council members walked out in protest of city officials not allowing Councilmember Ebony Sanco to cast a vote or take her seat at City Hall.

This comes on the heels of a decision by the Fourteenth Court of Appeals reversing an order that granted protections to council members Sanco, Rosemary Bigby and Evelyn Jones from having their official duties interfered with. Some residents are asking for the conflict to stop and for city business to resume.

As attendees walked into City Hall chambers, they were greeted by two flat-screen TVs reminding them of the definition and penalty of disrupting a meeting, foreshadowing what was to come.

Sanco anxiously awaited Tuesday’s council meeting wondering if she’d be able to carry out the duties she was elected for. The shock of the appellate court’s decision was still fresh, she said. Sanco was at the mercy of the Mayor Fred Burton and city officials to decide if they’d allow her to participate in the council meeting.

When she walked into the City Hall chambers, she was stopped by an Arcola police officer who notified her that she wouldn’t be able to take her seat.

While she was disappointed, she wasn’t surprised.

“I was kinda expecting something from (the mayor),” she said.

After public comments, each member of the City Council had the opportunity to address attendees at City Hall. Councilmember Jones took her time to address the ongoing conflict.

“The past several months have been a rollercoaster ride of legal proceedings and media attention all because of politics,” she said. “… it is the residents and the city who are paying the biggest price.”

Indy Morales, an Arcola resident, stood up in front of council and addressed the mayor directly, expressing concerns and frustrations over the meeting ending early and ongoing conflict between council members.

“This is so frustrating, and quite frankly, this is disrespectful to the people and the constituents and the citizens that take their time,” she said. “You’re the face of us. This is an embarrassment. This is an embarrassment to the city. We deserve better. And I personally would like to believe that you would hold yourself to a higher standard.”

Conflict between council members and city officials began in February when the mayor began to openly question the residency of Ebony Sanco. Burton hired a private investigator to follow, video tape and obtain a lease in Missouri City to prove that Sanco did not live in Arcola.

Sanco has maintained that her primary residence is in Arcola and the conflict isn’t about her residency, but rather retaliation for her not voting the way the mayor wanted on an annexation deal that would have brought 350 new homes to Arcola.

Rodrigo Carreon, a resident of the neighboring town of Fresno and frequent city council attendee, came to the meeting to ask council to slow down on development because of concerns over increased traffic. He said he felt sad to see another meeting end prematurely.

“I don’t know if she’s been proven wrong or not. But if she hasn’t been proven wrong, legally she still has the authority to sit there,” he said of Ebony’s residency. “No one can remove her. Only the voters can replace her.”

When city officials attempted to vote Sanco out of council at the March 12 meeting, council members Jones and Bigbby left in protest calling the act illegal. They claimed that only a district judge had the authority to remove an elected official.

Without a vote to remove Sanco, city officials removed Sanco’s name and photo from the city website. The three council members filed a lawsuit against the mayor and city officials asking the court to protect their positions. The trial is set for May 7.

Burton said in a message to the Houston Landing after the meeting that he believes Bigby and Jones leaving the meeting was a premeditated action.

“Arcola deserves better, and they don’t care,” he said.

Morales hopes that moving forward, she and other residents will be treated with more respect. She said there are more people pointing fingers rather than working on solutions for the city.

“It is extremely disrespectful when you have council members who represent the city and won’t even sit through a meeting to make decisions,” she said.

Briah Lumpkins is a suburban reporter for the Houston Landing covering Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties. If you have any story ideas or tips for Briah, feel free to send her an email at briah@houstonlanding.org.