TRINIDAD, Texas (KETK) — Tension ran high Thursday evening as the Trinidad City Council met before a packed room of frustrated residents. From the start, the meeting moved through an agenda that the mayor openly said he did not support.

“They are just digging themselves a deeper hole and lawsuits,” Trinidad resident Teresa Gray said. 

One of the most contentious actions came when the council voted 3–1 to dismiss Municipal Judge Shella Bievens. “I didn’t see anything presented that justified removing her,” Gray said. “I feel like it was absolutely, 100% unlawful.”

Moments later, the council voted 3–1 again — this time to remove the city attorney. That was followed by another vote approving the hiring of outside legal counsel for upcoming litigation matters.

For many residents, the decisions felt like a step backward.

“It’s shocking,” resident Elizabeth Collingsworth said. “We thought when this new council came in, things would improve. Before them, things were horrible — but now we’re in an even worse situation.”

What wasn’t on the agenda?

Anything addressing the ongoing water problems that have plagued Trinidad residents for years.

“I’ve lived here almost ten years,” Collingsworth said. “Many times the water coming from my faucets has been brown or full of sediment. My toilet tank has about an inch of black sediment in it.”

As the meeting ended, attendees said they were deeply disappointed, not only by the actions taken but by the issues left unaddressed by the people elected to represent them.

“I truly believe we need to start over with a new city council,” Gray said. “They are not for us. They are for themselves — not for the residents of Trinidad.”

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