The Orange City Council met Tuesday morning and they had several citizens in line to meet with them.
Included in the group were several people who spoke against the city suing Leslie Barras to collect city legal fees. Barras is a lawyer who lives in the Old Orange Historic District. Earlier in the year she filed a lawsuit against the city contending the council violated the city charter by the way they agreed to move city hall and buy the first financial bank building for $2 million.
The decision was made without public discussion.
Barras and the non-profit group Historic Orange Preservation and Empowerment lost the case in state district court and in appeals.
The city council agenda included a closed door meeting to talk about the case.
“I am shocked and appalled that there is even a discussion of the city of Orange suing a citizen for their right to question actions that were not even thoroughly brought before the citizens in the first place,” said Sandra Cash.
She added that she considers suing Barras “a form of punishment, a scare tactic, a Gestapo tactic to scare citizens from speaking out in the first place. I consider it a violation of freedom of speech.”
Sharon Odegar said suing Barras for speaking out against something she considers wrong “seems to be very borderline on dictatorship.” If the city sues Barras, it will send the message “well, you can’t fight city hall” and then the city council will do anything they want without citizen input.
“That’s like a third-world nation, not Orange, Texas,” she said.
John Backer asked “what message are you sending to the citizens of Orange?” if the council sues a citizen opposed to action. He said the council held a public hearing to purchase a new fire truck and new police equipment, but a $2 million purchase of a building was made “behind closed doors” without the public.
“A citizen challenged you. She lost on a technicality” because the city charter was not in the form of an ordinance, he said.
He said Barras has done free legal work to help the city in the historic district and for getting a train quiet zone. “I’m appalled” the council would consider suing her, he said.
Gail Shaw Barnett also spoke against suing Barras. Anytime leaders make “an effort to silence a voice, they need to seriously take stock,” she said. A lawsuit against Barras would make citizens fear retribution if they ever speak against the city.
Later in the meeting, after the closed session, Guy Goodson, a Beaumont lawyer who has been working for the city, said the city has not sued Barras. He said the city will ask Barras’s lawyer for a settlement. If she and the non-profit group agree not to appeal the decision further, the city will not seek reimbursement for the legal fees.
Barras is out of the country.
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