Two council members spar over qualifications
HUTTO –– Even as the city’s population increases, Hutto saw a significant drop in some crime categories during the first quarter of the year, according to a report heard by City Council last week.
Also during the May 15 session, a familiar battle questioning Councilman Randal Clark’s residency came to the forefront again, sparking a war of words between Clark and Councilman Evan Porterfield.
Regarding the reduction in crime, Police Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough attributed the drop to a good relationship between the Police Department and residents.
“One of the reasons you see those numbers have gone down so dramatically is because when something happens, they’re calling us,” Yarbrough said. “In addition, when we get there, if someone runs, we’re going to chase them so that they are discouraged from doing that in Hutto.”
According to the quarterly report presented by Yarbrough for January through March compared to the same time last year:
• Car burglaries dropped from 29 incidents to 10
• Burglaries of a building decreased from 18 incidents to four
• The Police Department also reported fewer motor-vehicle break-ins However, traffic accidents are on the rise, the chief noted, from 109 to 130. In addition, traffic stops increased from 3,295 to 3,753, but there were fewer citations issued, from 1,642 to 1,635.
Officials have noted that while offenses seem to be going down, Hutto’s population is increasing.
The latest figures from the federal government indicate Hutto ranked as the 13th fastest-growing city in the U.S, with the municipality now at 40,000 residents.
Meanwhile, flags flew at half-staff May 15 in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day, with the city recognizing May 11-17 as National Police Week.
“We know that we’ve had men and women and brothers and sisters in this profession who have fallen on the battlefield, and we’ve picked up that mantle and we’ve continued to run with that in their honor,” Yarbrough said. “Doing it in a place like Hutto is something that makes it very easy for us because we’re doing it in a place that we care about, for people that care about us.”
Mayor Mike Snyder also praised the force.
“Two or three years ago, people did not want to be a police officer in Hutto,” Snyder said. “They did it out of the love of Hutto, not necessarily the love of the job. Now, we have a leader that makes people love it so much we’re stealing people from other cities, and there’s a line of people.”
In other business during the meeting, Porterfield added an item to the May 15 agenda to discuss removing Clark, who represents Place 3, from the dais and any boards or commissions he is on, saying Clark does not live in the city.
Clark then added an agenda item to remove Porterfield, of Place 5, from his position on the same grounds.
Porterfield, who sold his home and moved to another Hutto address, said he simply had not had a chance to update his information with City Hall.
The council voted to keep Clark, who did not run for reelection, on the council; he has only one meeting left before his term is up. A runoff June 7 will decide the next Place 3 representative.
The debate over Clark’s residency is an old one and was laid to rest in August 2024.
He was married in the Houston area and bought a house there, so Snyder, along with Porterfield and Councilman Dan Thornton, questioned Clark’s eligibility at the time to remain on the council.
Clark insisted he did live in Hutto, had declared it to be his “domicile” and provided documentation to the city attorney, who confirmed Clark met the requirements to serve.
On Thursday, the motion was revisited because Porterfield said Clark’s house is listed for sale; he also questioned whether Clark still resides in Hutto.
Clark affirmed he still lives in the town, adding his daughter attends Hutto High School and he drives her there each day.
Once school is out and his term ends, he plans to move to Houston, he added.
The council also voted to allow Porterfield to keep his seat but said he must provide documentation of his new address to the city clerk.
