After an executive session, the Odessa City Council on Nov. 24 took several related personnel and contract actions.

Council voted to send the David Terry Garcia (Odessa) matter back to the board survey and to stop any demolition until the board’s further discussion, a motion the council approved by voice vote.

Council then voted to rescind, repudiate and terminate the contracts with the city attorney and city secretary dated April 9, 2024. Later in the meeting the council approved new employment agreements with the city attorney and the city secretary, each returning to one-year contracts at the same pay rates, and the council approved those new contracts by voice vote.

The council also voted to repudiate and reject the severance package for the former city manager and the deputy city manager and voted not to pay the former city manager (John Beckmeyer) the remaining salary under his April 9, 2024 agreement, stating on the record that the council considered the agreement unconstitutional and void. The council rescinded a prior direction to pay Beckmeyer on Nov. 13 and rejected the severance for the deputy city manager in a like manner; both actions passed by voice vote.

On a separate matter the council considered the Texas Government Accountability Association (TGAA) contract after public comment. Community speaker Ronnie Lewis criticized the TGAA arrangement and the role of local political actors; Anthony Walden, executive director of TGAA, and Art Martinez de Vara (TGAA general counsel) addressed the council during public comment to explain the association’s structure and intent. After discussion the council voted to reject, rescind and repudiate the TGAA contract as “unconstitutional” on the record; the motion passed by voice vote.

Finally, the council appointed Richard Morton as interim city manager to serve while the city conducts a search for a permanent city manager; the motion passed on a voice vote. Council members said the appointment is interim with an expectation to move to a full search for a permanent manager within months.

Several of the recorded motions were described on the record as repudiations or rescissions; council did not provide roll-call vote tallies in the public transcript for these votes.