Fort Bend County commissioners were unable to conduct business at the regularly scheduled meeting July 9 due to the lack of a quorum, and it was rescheduled to July 16.
What happened?
The cancellation came as Commissioners Grady Prestage and Dexter McCoy were absent from the meeting, while Commissioner Andy Meyers was present on Zoom and not in the physical courtroom. Three members must be physically present to constitute a quorum, interim County Judge Daniel Wong said.
This is the second meeting Prestage and McCoy have bowed out of as questions continue about who is the acting county judge following the dismissal of a civil case that alleges Judge KP George violated two residents’ First Amendment rights during Commissioners Court meetings last July and September. George was temporarily suspended from the position of judge in April.
The leadership uncertainty began June 24 when Prestage released a statement that said County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson informed commissioners that Wong's appointment was no longer valid due to the case dismissal.
Prestage said he would preside over the court as the most senior member until a successor was named.
However, Wong cited the Texas Constitution’s “holdover provision,” which is a statute that allows appointed and elected officers to continue in office until a successor is named.
“This is not about politics,” McCoy said in a July 9 statement. “It is about defending the rule of law, protecting the integrity of our institutions and preserving the public’s trust in their government.”
Community Impact reached out to Wong for comment regarding the lack of quorum, but did not receive a response by press time. Prestage declined to comment.
Also of note
Wong filed a lawsuit July 6 to confirm his appointment remains until a qualified successor is named, which was followed by the filing of a quo warranto—a legal action used to challenge a person's right to hold a public or corporate office—by Smith-Lawson.
The lawsuit was dropped by Wong on July 7 to settle the question in one lawsuit instead of two.
