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LA MARQUE — La Marque Mayor Keith Bell presided over Monday night’s City Council meeting as residents delivered sharply divided reactions to his recent arrest, with several calling for his resignation and others urging the community to allow the legal process to run its course.

Bell was arrested in Brazoria County on a charge of indecent exposure, a Class B misdemeanor. The city previously said the alleged incident occurred outside Bell’s official duties and that it would follow its charter and applicable laws while evaluating its next steps.

During public comment Monday, resident Jacqueline Johnson directly asked Bell whether he planned to resign or force residents to pursue a recall election.

Bell did not answer, explaining that the council does not respond to questions during public comment.

Several other speakers called on Bell to either resign or step away from his duties while the criminal case is pending. Resident Eva Libby argued that Mayor Pro Tem Tanya Griffin should have presided over the meeting and said Bell should be suspended until the case is resolved.

Other residents defended Bell’s right to remain in office unless he is convicted.

Sherry Woodard, a La Marque business owner, said Bell should not resign solely because of public pressure and questioned whether politics and race were influencing the response to his arrest.

“The mayor has been charged with a Class B misdemeanor. He has not been convicted,” Woodard said. “I believe he should remain in office and allow the legal process to run its course.”

Other speakers similarly pointed to the presumption of innocence and questioned Bell’s $75,000 bond. Supporters said the allegations should be evaluated through the court system before residents or city officials reach conclusions.

Bell did not provide an explanation of the allegation or discuss the pending charge during the meeting. After public comment ended, he thanked those who spoke and said their concerns had been heard.

Councilmember Kimberly Yancy later expressed support for allowing the judicial process to move forward. She said elected officials should receive the same consideration when facing personal legal matters unrelated to city business.

No item concerning Bell’s arrest, resignation or possible suspension appeared on Monday’s agenda, and the council took no action regarding his position.

Council proposes maximum tax rate of 45 cents

In other business, the council voted 4-1 to establish a proposed property tax rate of 45 cents per $100 of assessed valuation as officials continue developing the city’s budget.

The vote does not establish the final tax rate. It sets the maximum rate the council could adopt later in the budget process, meaning council members may ultimately approve a lower rate but cannot exceed 45 cents.

Councilmember Joseph Lowry first proposed using the no-new-revenue rate of $0.398957 per $100 of valuation. That proposal failed 4-1, with Lowry casting the only vote in favor.

City officials said preparing the budget at the no-new-revenue rate could require significant staffing and service reductions. Possible cuts discussed during the meeting included as many as 12 firefighter positions, 15 police positions, six public works positions and additional administrative jobs.

New City Manager Shauna D. Burkhart said the reductions could affect emergency response times, potentially increasing fire and emergency medical response times from between six and seven minutes to more than 10 minutes.

Lowry disputed the suggestion that public-safety positions would need to be cut, calling it a “scare tactic” and arguing that reductions could be found elsewhere in the city’s budget.

The council then approved the proposed 45-cent maximum, with Bell, Griffin and council members Yancy and Shotti Williams voting in favor. Lowry opposed it.

Bell emphasized that he would not necessarily support adopting the full 45-cent rate when the council takes its final vote.

IRS penalty and code enforcement updates

City officials also reported that an Internal Revenue Service penalty was tied exclusively to the city’s failure to file 2022 Forms 1094-C and 1095-C, which document employer-provided health insurance coverage.

Officials said the city can now prepare a request asking the IRS to reduce or eliminate the penalty.

La Marque Police Chief Frankland also updated the council on the recent transfer of the city’s code enforcement department to the police department. Frankland stressed that code enforcement remains a separate operation and that police officers are not being reassigned to perform code enforcement duties.

The department issued more than 40 citations during its first two weeks under the new structure, Frankland said. Code enforcement employees will begin working 12-hour shifts with weekend coverage to address unpermitted roofing, fencing and similar work that frequently occurs on Saturdays and Sundays.

Monday also marked Burkhart’s first day as La Marque’s city manager. City officials announced that details of a public meet-and-greet with Burkhart will be released later.