The city is asking a recruitment firm to begin a search for its next police chief, but in the meantime veteran Taylor peace officer Joseph Branson will fill that role on an interim basis.
Henry Fluck, who served as chief for 12 years, stepped down Sept. 22.
The announcement to launch the search came during the council’s Thursday meeting, which also included discussions about revised guidelines for issuing city proclamations, an opioid settlement, housing assistance for municipal workers and final platting for Samsung Austin Semiconductor.
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Y’all are setting precedents deciding who is or isn’t welcome in public spaces.”
— Sarah Winters Meanwhile, Branson is welcome to apply as permanent chief even as the city hires a headhunter group to conduct a “thorough search” looking for a specific skillset, Mayor Dwayne Ariola said.
During Thursday’s City Council meeting, Joseph Branson accepted the position of interim police chief following in the footsteps of retired Taylor Chief Henry Fluck. Photo city of Taylor
“This is my town, so I’m happy to serve here in any capacity,” Branson said. “My only goal is to provide some stability for our department as we look for that next chief, whoever that is.”
Fluck was not at the meeting.
According to his LinkedIn page, Branson has worked more than 22 years in law enforcement, including six years of command-level experience.
He lately served as the commander-support services and has been with Taylor 20 years, starting in May 2005, according to the online bio.
Guidelines on proclamations
The council sent back to city staff proposed guidelines for ceremonial proclamations that would restrict the honors to only those events connected to city programs, a city-sponsored event or a formal city partnership.
That proposal presented to members on the dais Thursday was deemed too restrictive for some and not restrictive enough for others.
Council members without a vote suggested
a few ideas for the honorifics and asked city staff to come back at a future meeting with a streamlined version.
The city’s policy on proclamations has been under scrutiny since Ariola denied a request for a Pride Day proclamation in May. The ceremonies went ahead as scheduled. “It’s so subjective and takes a lot of mine and the city clerk’s time in reviewing those...and does it have anything to do with city business? No, not really,” Ariola said. “This policy was written so that future councils can have some type of streamline and direction.”
Since 2023 city policy has granted sole authority to the mayor over whether a proclamation request is granted.
The new policy would not change that.
However, in addition to other suggested changes about cityconnected events, some proclamations could be issued at special events or mailed to the recipients.
Resident Carrie D’Anna said receiving a proclamation at City Hall is important to give some communities needed recognition and acceptance, including those with autism.
Advocate Sarah Winters worried the council is laying the groundwork to keep the LGBTQ community from participating in events such as the Christmas parade.
“Y’all are setting precedents deciding who is or isn’t welcome in public spaces. This is how civil liberties erode, not with one big act but with little steps most people don’t notice until it’s too late,” Winters said.
Councilwoman Shelli Cobb said she prefers dispensing with proclamations at council meetings altogether and staying focused on city business.
However, organizations such as United Way and Tree City USA often require a proclamation as part of an award or grant process.
Councilman Greg Redden said he would like to have lifetime achievement awards and 50-year anniversaries added to the list of approved City Hall proclamations.
City employees may get housing help
The city also is looking at employersponsored housing assistance, which is a common recruitment incentive in private industry for executive and professional positions.
LaShon Gros, interim managing director of administration, presented a city employee home-buyer incentive program, but without a budget recommendation.
The aid is given as a loan, but the loan is forgiven if all requirements are met, staffers said.
Council members indicated favor with the idea, but several noted the city is not in a financial place to implement such an initiative.
“I just think that for a lot of our citizens right now that’s going to be a pretty hard pill to swallow, their tax dollars going to help someone else get into a home when they’re trying to do whatever they can to stay in theirs right now,” Cobb said.
Gros said San Marcos offers $5,000 in aid for up to 10 applicants. City Manager Brian LaBorde said the funding each year would be determined by the fiscal budget after council approves the proposal.
The program requires recipients to maintain their employment with the city for a set amount of time or pay back the funds.
Housing assistance for city employees helps retain and recruit top talent and encourages municipal workers to live in Taylor, Gros said.
The council directed Gros to continue investigating the program and to present it later.
City opts in for opioid settlement
The council approved LaBorde to submit forms securing Taylor a share of the Purdue Pharma & Sackler Family National Opioid Settlement. It is expected to pay out $6.5 billion nationally over 15 years, plus an initial $1.5 billion payment in 2026.
Taylor has so far received almost $39,000 from three previous opioid settlements, according to a city spokesman.
Money received by the state in the settlements is divided between the Texas Opioid Abatement Account and the Texas Opioid Abatement Trust Fund. The Trust Fund divides 15% percent of the money received between counties and cities that have opted in.
The money is intended to “address opioid-related harms in those communities,” according to the state Comptroller’s Office.
Samsung platting finalized
The final platting of Samsung Austin Semiconductor, 1530 FM 973, was approved by the council. Construction has continued at the 1,216.33-acre site even without a final plat, as a condition of the development agreement.
South Korean parent company Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Gov. Greg Abbott announced in November 2021 Taylor’s selection
as the site for the chip foundry. Samsung recently announced a partnership with Tesla to supply chips to the latter’s electronic vehicles.
“Platting was complex due to the roadways that were closed, gas lines rerouted, and easements vacated along with the multitude of properties that they are combining into one. They have been working on this plat for three years,” said city spokesman Daniel Seguin.
The Samsung foundry will be operational in 2026, officials said. The Tesla Gigafactory is 30 miles away in East Austin.
