BEAUMONT, Texas — The at-large councilmember race is the most crowded race on the ballot for Beaumont's upcoming municipal election with five candidates vying for two seats.
Operation One Vote held a forum Tuesday so the community could learn more about the candidates in the May elections.
The battle for Beaumont city council at-large has five candidates fighting over two seats. The race is a mix of familiar faces, newcomers and incumbents.
The five candidates are Biguita Hernandez-Smith, Michael Cooper, Terry Preston Roy, Councilman Randy Feldschau and Councilman AJ Turner.
Tuesday’s forum gave the candidates a chance to tell residents they believe they are the best for the position.
Hernandez-Smith believes her 20 years of experience in economic and workforce development make her a good fit for one of the at-large seats. She ran for mayor in 2021 and is focusing on the economy.
“We often experience our young people moving to other cities to get great opportunities, and we need to make sure at the least that we have great opportunities to provide for them here," Hernandez-Smith said
Cooper is the former leader of the NAACP chapter in Beaumont. He is also a longtime sales manager for Kinsel Toyota.
Cooper's focus is on infrastructure.
"We have a water treatment plant, and it’s below the water level in the city of Beaumont,” Cooper said. “It's on pine street. It's the lowest area. Why not move that closer to Major Drive and Folsom and tie it into the LNVA canal?"
Roy has lived in Beaumont for 62 years. His focus is on infrastructure and schools.
"We have to get the infrastructure great, so we can get our tax base back up,” Roy said. “It's going to take a combination of the city and BISD to get that straight. It's going to be a long process with that."
Councilman Feldschau is seeking a third term after gaining the seat in 2019. He has pastored One City Church in Beaumont for 17 years.
The councilman hopes to continue his progress on public works.
“That you have clean water to make sure you have a functioning sewer system,” Councilman Feldschau said. “To make sure your roads are drivable and make sure your first responders are supported and resourced."
Councilman Turner gained the seat in 2021. He previously worked as a parole officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for seven years.
The incumbent was out of town during the conference but sent a statement to 12News saying:
“In my first term we made tremendous strides and we made some of the largest improvements in the history of Beaumont, but we have so much more work to do! I have worked hard in the City of Beaumont prior to being on the council, and we as a community working together can make this city what it truly deserves to be."
Tuesday’s forum also featured the mayoral candidates, other council seats and multiple positions on the Beaumont Independent School District board.
The deadline to register to vote in the municipal election is April 6, 2023. Early voting will begin April 24, 2023 and run through May 2, 2023.
The municipal election will be held on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.