Moulton
The Moulton Eagle
Moulton City Council

Hughes named Moulton’s new mayor pro-tem

  • Councilman Craig Hughes was elected the new mayor pro-tem in Mouton earlier this month.
    Councilman Craig Hughes was elected the new mayor pro-tem in Mouton earlier this month.
  • City administrator LuAnn Rogers explains one of the topics on the city council agenda.
    City administrator LuAnn Rogers explains one of the topics on the city council agenda.
  • Moulton councilmembers accept their oaths opf office after the May election.
    Moulton councilmembers accept their oaths opf office after the May election.

    Moulton councilman Craig Hughes came out of June’s regular city meeting with an all-new title after fellow councilmembers nominated him as the city’s new mayor pro-tem.

    Alderwoman Kelly Moeller made the nomination, with new councilman Adam Nieto backing her measure, and later winning the support of most on the council. 

    Councilman Donald Wagner, who held that title when the meeting began, offered the lone dissenting vote.

    Stepping right into his new leadership role, Hughes proposed a regular weekly meeting time with leadership team in place at the city. Having worked closely with the public works staff these last few weeks to get the city Well No. 4 back up and operational.

    Hughes said such meetings could prove beneficial in keeping everyone better informed on various project needs around the city. They will take place at 2 p.m. on Thursdays, the council decided.

    Mayor Mark Zimmerman offered just one word of caution to any councilmembers who may want to take part in the new weekly manager meetings: “Make sure that no more than two of you show up to those meetings,” he said. “Any more than that and we have a quorum, and that’s not allowed.”

    Council also voted to add Hughes top the bank’s list of designated city signatories. Most of the checks written by Moulton require at least two signatures, city administrator’s LuAnn Rogers, and typically, either the mayor or mayor pro-tem’s signatures to back hers up.

    In other business:

    • Interim Police Chief Daniel Beyer suggested several changes to the Moulton Police Chief’s post since the city will be looking to fill that spot over the next few months. First, he suggested that the new police chief, whomever that may be, have at least an advanced or master peace officer license. 

    Beyer further suggested that the council be very honest and open about what they expect of a candidate. If that’s a regular 80-hour workweek, the new man would do well to know such things up front, lest he enter said job unaware of such expectations. 

    Finally, Beyer asked that the council require all future police chiefs in Moulton to live within the city limits, or at very least, within the city’s ETJ. The chief needs to be here and be active, he said.

    • Council agreed that local advertising for the chief’s job would not be the method available. Rather, the city has several specialty law enforcement sites and job banks with the Texas Municipal League (TML) that would likely produce far more capable applicants.

    • Councilmembers entered a document of understanding with the Moulton Chamber of Commerce regarding the use of the city park for its upcoming Moulton Jamboree.

    • The city approved a resolution naming Lavaca County Tax Assessor Collect Debra Sevcik as the person responsible for coming up with tax rate figures based on tax rolls.

    • Council made a change to the city employee policy that will permit police officers use of a “take home vehicle,” subject to departmental needs.

    • The city approved the health insurance rerate as issued by TML. That rerate will see local insurance coverage increase in price by $8,672.40 in the coming year. With the added costs, however, new dental coverage will be made available for the first time this year.