Neighbors balk after Bellaire spends $50,000 on new logo
BELLAIRE, Texas (KTRK) -- A Bellaire logo proposal is creating controversy after neighbors learned how much the city spent to create the decal.
In a few months, Bellaire will open a new city hall. The newness may not just be with the structure, but the logo attached to it.
Last year, the city of Bellaire hired a consultant to design a new look to add to the new building.
Instead of the current trees, a church, home, and family, which has served as the city's logo for decades, the proposed logo features a leaf that fills out the letter "B."
"I can't tell if it's a 'B'," Bellaire resident Rachel Crochet said. "I can't tell if it's a 'P.' It looks like a recycling logo."
Crochet is one neighbor who plans to speak against the proposal at Monday's council meeting. Looks aren't her only issue. She's furious the city spent $50,000 on it.
"We could've kept the logo that we have," Crochet said. "That represents the city. Not the dull green that they've come up with."
City Manager Paul Hofmann said the company was hired last year, and worked with different agencies, listened to a focus group, and besides a logo, provided the city with new coloring and messaging.
"I think our consultant listened really well," Hofmann said. "I personally think what they came up with is an honest reflection of all of those structured inputs that we went through."
The consultant told the city its brand is hard to find. There are no logos on the welcome signs, and streets signs.
Hofmann says the city won't need to spend additional money.
Instead of replacing current decals, he says they would only update the look when new equipment is purchased.
Council won't be voting on a logo Monday, just the font and color the consultant provided.
However, if members shoot that down, Hoffman said the idea of a new logo could be over.
"I know everybody likes change, if there's a reason, if there's a reason," Crochet said. "If there's no reason, I don't see it. Not for the amount of money we're talking."
