As Councilmember Taylor Neild prepares to exit his position after nearly six years of elected service to the Beaumont City Council, he reflects on the city’s advancements, concerns, and what lies ahead. In an open and honest discussion, Neild shared insights on infrastructure improvements, fiscal challenges and initiatives he believes should be reconsidered.
Neild’s initial reason for running for city council in 2019 stemmed from a desire to address Beaumont’s infrastructure – specifically water, sewer and streets. Now, as he prepares to step away from the dais and pass the baton to the next Ward 1 council member, Neild acknowledges measurable progress in these areas.
“You can see the progress being made. It’s trackable now,” he said, before adding that there is still much to do. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lot to do, but I think we can finally say that there is a plan in place now and that there is progression.”
Neild pointed to improvements in tracking the city’s road index, monitoring water and sewer infrastructure projects, as well as ensuring storm drainage systems are addressed.
“It’s going to take time, but it is working,” he noted.
Despite the infrastructure improvements, Neild expressed deep concerns about Beaumont’s financial management – or lack thereof. The outgoing councilman emphasized the importance of having a fiscal watchdog on the council, particularly as the city’s fund balance is being depleted.
“The biggest concern that I have for the city of Beaumont moving forward is the budget,” he stated. “We need another hawk on council that can keep an eye on where the money’s going and keep a healthy fund balance, which is quickly being depleted right now.”
Neild criticized what he sees as misleading terminology used by city officials regarding deficit spending.
“If you make $100 a month and you spend $110 a month, that’s deficit spending,” he said. “I don’t care how you play it.”
Neild, the chief executive officer at HB Neild Construction, also voiced concerns about the city’s financial management structure, citing the lack of a chief financial officer (CFO) and the delegation of financial responsibilities to multiple people as creating “mass chaos” in that department.
As of March 11, the city of Beaumont does not have a CFO. Following the resignation of CFO Cheryl Ray on Jan. 3, with little more than a two-week notice, the city chose not to appoint an interim CFO. Instead, the responsibilities have been distributed among existing staff: June Ellis, assistant city manager; Duncan Brown Jr., assistant chief financial officer and Bridgette Evick, deputy controller and certified public accountant, while the city searches for a permanent CFO.
Neild similarly expressed skepticism regarding certain city-backed projects, particularly a proposed downtown hotel development. While he supports private investment, Neild does not believe the city should take on the financial risk.
“I’ve looked at the numbers a thousand different ways on the hotel stuff downtown. The way I’m looking at it, the numbers just don’t work. If the city fully funds it, I do not think it will be a success,” he warned.
Another project Neild strongly opposes is the proposed riverwalk development, which he believes is an unnecessary expenditure given the city’s ongoing infrastructure issues.
“When you’ve got people that still can’t flush their toilets in Beaumont, and you want to go spend $100 million to dig a ditch – that’s a slap in the face of the taxpayers,” he stated bluntly.
For Neild, the city does not have a revenue problem, but rather a spending problem. He highlighted that personnel costs make up the bulk of the budget and questioned the addition of high-paying executive positions.
Most recently, the city entered into a contract with Grady Reed of HDR Engineering for services on July 16, 2024, for $39,480, seeking the impact of impact fees possibly implemented on any new construction. Jan. 28, according to Ellis, it was decided that the city would no longer be moving forward with implementing impact fees following feedback from city council and concerned citizens. The city paid Reed and his firm more than $46,000 since 2023, which included consultation on water rate increases.
In Neild and Feldschau’s absence on Feb. 18 city council voted in favor of spending $152,977 to hire GAP Strategies to facilitate a bond election.
As he leaves office, Neild hopes to be remembered for his financial scrutiny and transparency.
“I hope, at the end of the day, if there’s two things that I’m remembered for on council, it’s that I always had my eye on the budget and that everybody always knew where Taylor Neild stood on an issue.”
In endorsing his successor, Neild expressed confidence in local attorney Cory Crenshaw, for whom he currently serves as campaign manager.
“I've been fortunate to know Cory for the better part of the last 20 years. He’s truly a servant. He loves Southeast Texas; he’s smart, he’s well-connected, and he has the ability to bring resources to Beaumont that could be necessary for this community. I think he is going to do an excellent job.”
As Neild steps away from his role, he said he leaves behind a city in transition, making visible progress in infrastructure but also facing serious financial concerns. The path forward will take hard work to bring the city up to par, Neild expressed, before firmly adding, “Beaumont is worth fighting for.”