Months of disagreement in Prairie View city council lead to break in quorum

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (KTRK) -- Prairie View City Council met Monday night for its monthly public session. But for months now, the council has failed to vote on key issues because two of its members have walked out and broke the quorum.

They say they're doing it to make sure their constituents' voices are heard. The mayor and other council members say it's ground business to a halt. Mayor Ronald Leverett is the city's newly-elected mayor, though he has served in the past.

He's found this go-around tougher, sledding with two members of the council walking out of meetings for months now to avoid votes on key issues.

"We have a problem here of the same people always on the same committees," Mayor Leverett told ABC13. "We have an opportunity to hash out the things that we need and look at the budgets and try and set things up the way it should be, but if you don't have a quorum, you don't get to do that."

They passed a budget, but can't see eye-to-eye on proceeding with filling the vacancies. They have no accountant, a vacant city council spot, and are looking for a new city manager.

Wendy Williams is one of the council members who walks out.

"There are certain individuals that they want to put in positions that I know are not qualified for those positions," Williams said. "I cannot sit there and just accept something just because two other councilmen and the mayor said so. And you have to understand, I was born and raised here in Prairie View. I'm not just passing through or somebody who migrated here."

Nathan Alexander is the other council member who walks out. He believes breaking quorum is his most effective political maneuver.

"If my voice is being suppressed, then that means the thousands of residents who voted for me, their voices are also being suppressed," Alexander said. "I will be walking out until we come together and we compromise."

It's not an unprecedented move. Ahead of the November 2022 mid-term elections, two Republican Harris County Commissioners broke quorum to avoid a vote on the county's budget. In 2021, Texas Democrats famously broke quorum to avoid a vote on the state's suite of new election laws.

In the meantime, the mayor says he and the two colleagues who stay, are concerned about city finances and city operations. All sides are saying they want a resolution so they can move forward. Though none seems close at hand.

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