Written by Amanda Coers – The Brownwood City Council met at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, December 13th with a number of items listed on the agenda, one of which was to consider authorizing the city to continue its agreement with Rural Issues Consultant Bob Turner.

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Bob Turner served as a Democratic representative for Texas House District 73 from 1991 to 2003. As part of his consulting services, Bob Turner has been representing Brownwood and Brown County for the past six years. Through his involvement with the Texas House, Senate and State Agencies, Turner was tasked with representing the Brown County area in Austin and keeping the community informed of legislation that would impact the area, both negatively and positively.

The total cost of the two-year contract is just over $40,000. Last year the fee was divided six ways between the City of Brownwood, the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the Brownwood Municipal Development District, Brown County, and the Brown County Water Improvement District, along with the City of Early. With the different entities sharing the cost, each could receive the consultant services for around $3,600 per year.

Present at the Brownwood City Council meeting was Robert Porter, chairman of the Brown County Republican Party, and local Certified Public Accountant Julia Taylor.

Taylor was first to address the council, sharing her concerns that Turner’s services could be considered tax-payer funded lobbyism.

“It is my understanding that this contract is structured in a way to conceal the fact that the tax payers are funding a lobbyist,” Taylor began in her opening remarks. “Mr. Turner is registered as a lobbyist as is required by the Texas Ethics Commission.”

She continued, saying, “Understand, please, my concerns are not with Mr. Turner… my concerns are with the contract for Mr. Turner’s services being funded by tax payers.”

Robert Porter shared his belief that Turner’s services were crucial for the Brown County area to have appropriate representation at the Texas House and Senate.

“With 11,919 bills filed collectively between the Senate and the House, it’s physically impossible for one State Rep and his staff, and one State Senator and her staff to keep up with all that.”

Porter urged the council to continue the agreement to pay for Turner’s consulting services in order to keep Brown County well represented within the state government.

“We have to be invested in paying attention to what’s going on. There are all kinds of interests promoting their special interests that might not be in our best interest.”

After public comments were heard, the city council members voted unanimously to continue their agreement.

At the Early City Council meeting held that same evening at 6 p.m. at Early City Hall, however, council members did not seem keen to continue the agreement.

During the meeting councilman B.J. McCullough moved to accept the agreement, but other members of the council sat silently after Mayor Bob Mangrum asked for a second. The motion did not pass and Early will no longer continue to pay their portion of the fee.

This month the Brownwood Chamber, Brown County Water Improvement District and City of Brownwood have voted to approve the agreement. The Brown County Commissioner’s Court will vote on the issue on Monday, December 18th. The Brownwood Municipal Development District will vote on the issue on Tuesday, December 19th.