Darden hired back as City Manager after Executive Session Ornelas, Hughes sworn in as Councilmembers

Big Spring City Council convened for a special meeting Tuesday evening to canvass the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election and heard several ordinances covering the recent Special Election regarding the recalls of Mayor Shannon Thomason, Council member Camilla Strande and Council member Jim DePauw, and a two hour Executive Session resulting in the rehire of Todd Darden as City Manager.

Council members began with discussion concerning an emergency reading of an ordinance canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the general election held on Nov. 3, 2020. City Mayor Shannon Thomason along with all other Council members reviewed the results. Thomason then read the vote counts and percentages aloud and motioned to pass the emergency reading. Council member Gloria McDonald seconded the motion and it passed 5-0.

Thomason then recognized the outgoing Council members for District One and Three with plaques honoring their services and diligent work for the City of Big Spring.

After the outgoing of the former Council members Raul Marquez and Terry McDaniel, Mayor Thomason then administered the Oath of Office to Duty Elected Council members Nick Ornelas and Cody Hughes.

According to Thomason, who referenced the City Charter, as he was a part of the special election regarding the recalls, he could not be present for the canvassing of the Special Election held on Nov. 3 regarding the recalls for Mayor Thomason, Council member Camila Strande, and Council member Jim DePauw. After the Mayor was no longer present in the meeting, Council member Doug Hartman read aloud the Special Election results and motioned to approve them. He was seconded by new Council member Cody Hughes to pass unanimously.

Afterwards, Mayor Shannon Thomason rejoined the meeting and motioned to approve an emergency reading for a Special Election to be held on March 6, 2021 for the purpose of filling a vacancy in the unexpired term for Council member District 5 and 6, by way of majority vote of the qualified voters of those respective districts. Newly elected Council member Hughes seconded for the vote to pass unanimously.

Before the ending of the Election Results portion of the meeting, Thomason also chose to nominate Council member Hartman for the position of Mayor Pro Tem, and by acclamation from the rest of the Council, Hartman was awarded the position.

Interim City Manager Shane Bowles began his report for the evening covering a contract and sales report from Texas Communities Group, LLC. According to Bowles, 20 out of 28 properties were sold at auction at a minimum bid of the tax monies owed on them. There will also be a later auction for the properties that were not sold at the time without the minimum required. Monies collected from the auction equated to $196,000 and will be split amongst city taxing entities.

“Getting these now into actual property owners that can take care of these

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