Richmond man sentenced for Ponzi scheme - Page 2
Grace's Cafe in Missouri City was a shining example of authentic Jamaican fare during a recent visit. Read this week's food review on Page 8. (Photo by Stefan Modrich)
WEDNESDAY • OCTOBER 27, 2021
Three vie for District A seat in Missouri City By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
No matter who wins the three-person race for the District A seat on Missouri City Council, the person occupying the spot will be a new face on council. Reginald Pearson, Monica Riley and Bruce Zaborowski are all running to replace councilmember Cheryl Sterling, who opted not to run for reelection, as the representative for District A – a district that includes much of northeast Missouri City, including parts in Harris County. Each of the three candidates in interviews with the Fort Bend Star laid out their diverging visions for the future as well as their reasons for getting into the race, which concludes with Election Day on Nov. 2. Early voting ends Thursday. “This comes with a lot of accountability and responsibility,” Pearson said of a councilmember’s job description. “You don’t get paid, so you have to be serious about it. It’s not about ribbon cutting, but being able to sit down and understand a budget, and how all the pieces play a role in that budget.” Of all the candidates, Pearson might have the most time spent in various roles at city hall. The Missouri City resident and corporate food buyer was previously appointed to the District A seat on council in 2018, and has served as a commissioner on the planning and zoning commission as well as on several other committees and on his local homeowners’ association board. “I’ve served in many capacities and have a business background,” he said. “So, I understand a budget and how to negotiate. This is not about photo-ops, but solutions and
SEE DISTRICT A PAGE 7
FBISD trustees call for one of their own to resign By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees has taken the unusual step of rebuking one of its own, accusing trustee Denetta Williams of abusing a former employee, sharing confidential information on social media, fabricating emails about an investigation and making
call me racist,” she said before the vote.
vote against Williams, but based on the text of the resolution itself, it appears the move was the culmination of a months-long investigation into the trustee that began when a former district employee filed a complaint against her in June, records show. The vote came after
SEE FBISD PAGE 7
Legislature gives UH $52.4 million for new Sugar Land facility Students walked briskly between classes, some deep in conversation while others buried their heads into their phones or books, at the University of Houston’s Sugar Land campus Monday morning. Despite being a branch campus for the University of Houston’s flagship university, the Sugar Land location almost resembled something out of one of those famous campus novels featuring a Harvard or Yale on that bright, sunny morning. But the quiet environs
greeting visitors Monday almost looked unaware of the $52.4 million gift that the Texas Legislature granted the university to add a new academic building to the Sugar Land campus. “Yeah, that will help a lot of students,” said Nosike Eike, a student who lives nearby in Sugar Land. “This will be better for them.” Eike opted to attend classes at the Sugar Land campus because it’s much closer to his home, he said. The Texas Legislature closed out the third special session last week with a bill giving UH more than $339.48 million for capital construction projects across
UH-Sugar Land's $52.4 million allocation was part of more than $330 million given to the UH system. (Photo by Matt deGrood)
the system. The allocation includes the $52.4 million for the Sugar Land campus, but also another $40 mil-
lion for a Hobby School of Public Affairs building on the main campus and $45 million each to three other
branches for new construction, according to a news release. In total, the legislature approved more than $3.35 billion for construction at colleges and universities across the state, with state leaders planning to use a mixture of general funds and money from the federal stimulus packages to pay for the construction, according to an article in the Houston Chronicle. “We are grateful to Gov. (Greg) Abbott, Lt. Gov. (Dan) Patrick, Speaker (Dade) Phelan and Legislature for
SEE UH PAGE 7
City manager candidates to be interviewed By Matt deGrood MDEGROOD@FORTBENDSTAR.COM
Zaborowski
Williams
Williams was first elected to the Position 5 spot on the board in November 2020, ousting incumbent Allison Drew. Under Texas law, a school board cannot remove another trustee from office, and it’s not clear Williams has any intention of resigning from the board. Her current term ends in 2023. Trustees held little discussion before last week’s
A student walks on a path at the University of Houston's Sugar Land campus Monday. The Texas Legislature recently awarded UH more than $50 million for construction of a new academic facility on campus. (Photo by Matt deGrood)
By Matt deGrood
Riley
racist comments, among other charges. The trustees in a 6-1 vote last week approved a resolution denouncing Williams, and calling on her to resign. Williams was the lone vote against the resolution, and spoke out strongly against the measure. “You can call me a whole lot of things, but how dare you as a board stand up and
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Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 46 • No. 10
The search for Missouri City’s next city manager will move forward in November. The city council last week unanimously agreed to interview the eight candidates who were recommended by
the search firm, GovHR USA. The council has not yet identified specific dates for those interviews, and it’s not yet clear who is being eyed for the vacancy. A city spokesperson declined to immediately provide a list of the candidates to the Fort Bend Star, instead treating the Oct. 19 inquiry as an open
records request. Governmental entities are required by law to fulfill such requests within 10 days. Councilmembers have been searching for a new city manager since opting to fire Odis Jones in a 5-2 vote at an April meeting. The move came a little more than a year after ousting Anthony Snipes
in February 2020 in a 4-3 vote. Bill Atkinson has been serving as the interim city manager as the council searches for a full-time replacement. If the interviews come after the Nov. 2 election, it’s possible two new faces could play a role in determining the next leader of Missouri City.
JERRY FLOWERS
Real Estate Agent, MBA, CNE, ABE Army Veteran (RET) • 832-702-5241 Jerry@dreamhomesbyjerry.com
4500 Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478