Manvel City Council members voted against controlling prices on a number of essential items for sale within the city at their July 15 meeting, saying they didn’t feel like price gouging had been a concern in the city following Hurricane Beryl.

However, citing state law, city officials talked about the need to inform residents about price gouging and what they can do when they suspect it might be happening somewhere.

The gist

The ordinance, if officials had voted in favor, would have needed a second vote before it could go into effect. However, since City Council opted against taking any action on the motion on July 15, it essentially dies unless council opts to pick it up again at a later date.

According to the ordinance, a person in town would not have been able to raise prices on the following items any higher than they were on July 7:

• Groceries
• Construction equipment
• Electrical and gas generating and transmission equipment
• Candles, matches, batteries and other heat-producing items
• Hand tools
• Automotive parts
• Plumbing and electrical tools and supplies
• Rental prices on apartments, hotels, rooming houses
• Gasoline, oil and other automotive lubricants
• Restaurant, cafeteria and boarding-house meals
• Contractor services
• Medicine
• Blankets, quilts, toilet paper and other linens
• Furniture and clothing

Any person who violated the ordinance would have been subject to up to a $2,000 fine, according to city documents.

What they said

Despite the ordinance not receiving needed support to pass, council members said they felt it was a good discussion to have. City Manager Dan Johnson said he was unaware of any price gouging happening in Manvel.

“It’s something we can say as a city that of course this is not OK in our city,” he said.

Council member Keith Bonner said he took issue with how it read, adding he didn’t support a "cost freeze." He added that he felt like state law covers against price gouging.

“I don’t want this to affect the local store here that, two weeks from now, their cost goes up by 10 cents, and they try to pass that off,” he said. “That’s not price gouging.”

Council member Crystal Sarmiento agreed but said there should be an effort to get the word out to residents about what to do if they see price gouging and reassert the problems with it.

What else?

Those who suspect price gouging or want to make a complaint about it can call the Office of the Attorney General of Texas' consumer protection hotline at 1-800-621-0508.

The Attorney General’s Office's website also has resources and information on how to spot price gouging.