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ARCOLA – Veeda Williams never planned to run for mayor of Arcola.

She tried to persuade others to step up. And when they didn’t, Williams put her hat in the ring a week before the application deadline.

“I felt like there was a need that arose in our community. And this was my community,” Williams said.

With Williams’ victory, by a margin of only 15 votes, comes a changing of the tides not only politically, but philosophically. The previous mayor, Fred Burton, was embroiled in controversy and became known for weaponizing his Facebook profile and questionable use of Arcola taxpayer dollars – including hiring a private investigator to spy on a council member.

After Williams was sworn into office, Burton expressed little confidence in her and the council.

“Arcola is in a situation that they will never be able to recover from,” he said in May.

Burton’s leadership style left some city council members feeling like their voices were stifled, and council meetings often spiraled into chaos. These are some of the things that Williams, who is a lifelong Arcola resident, hopes to change.

Williams said the Arcola of today is much different than the one she grew up in. She recalls being surrounded by sugar cane fields and eating fresh produce from her neighbor’s garden. Highway 6 was only one lane in each direction. And the city was small enough for everyone to know everyone.

Arcola has grown since her childhood – more than 2,000 people call the small town home. And developments such as D.R. Horton’s Post Oak Pointe, the city’s first master planned community, and a new public water system indicate that the community is poised for growth.

While Arcola has attracted interest from outside developers, Williams wants to ensure tax dollars are invested in those who’ve lived in the city for generations.

“Post Oak Pointe, they can see the value in their communities,” she said. “People who've been here, we need street repairs. Some basic things (like) ditches, water, sewer needs. Things that need to be attended to. And I want to make sure that we invest in those things.”

Making Arcola a destination city, and not just a detour, is a mantra William’s preached throughout the entirety of her campaign. And as Fort Bend County amasses rapid growth, quickly becoming one of the fastest growing and diverse areas in the country, Williams wants to make sure it does not pass Arcola by.

“There's somebody here in the mayor's seat now that is from Arcola and for Arcola,” Williams said. “And I will every day be looking out for the best interest of the citizens here.”

Healing wounds

Friends, family and supporters squeezed into the chambers of Arcola City Hall on May 13 to watch Williams be sworn into office. Phone cameras rose high, ready to record as she repeated the oath of office from Fort Bend County Commissioner Grady Prestage.

The road to this moment was long and hard fought. Politicians say it represented “a new day” for the city of Arcola – one that people like Texas District 27 Rep. Ron Reynolds have been waiting for.

“I have people calling me like, ‘What the hell's going on in Arcola?’” he said in his opening remarks during the swearing in.

For months earlier this year, Arcola residents and interested onlookers watched Arcola City Council fall into a deep state of disarray. A crusade led by the city’s former mayor to oust council member Ebony Sanco captured headlines and was the focal point of a tense legal battle between city hall’s most key players.

While the case played out in court, the divide between council members and the mayor was on full display.

Over the last four months, Arcola city business was brought to a complete standstill as council meetings were either canceled or ended in quorum-breaking walkouts.

The revelation of public funds being used by Burton to hire a private investigator raised serious concerns from some council members. A Facebook page run by Burton, which was promoted as a community space for residents to express concerns, became a venue for attacks on council members and Williams, his then opponent.

The political division also appeared at the polls. Williams came out victorious at the election – but by just 15 votes. Of the 197 people who participated in this election, a considerable number voted in support of Burton, who’d been the city’s mayor for the past six years.

Williams inherited a version of Arcola she didn’t create. But the new mayor says she’s ready to repair recent cracks in the city’s foundation.

In her first week, she’s met with nearly every person on staff to understand roles and hear any potential concerns. It was also an opportunity to make her intentions for Arcola clearly known.

“I tried to let everybody know, I'm focused on the stability and continuity of this city's governance for the residents of Arcola. I'm not interested in fixing things that are not broken,” Williams said.

Another goal of Williams’ is to improve government transparency and better equip council members to make decisions.

Under Burton, only those who belonged to a private Facebook page that he created were able to livestream City Council meetings. He determined who had access to the page, which contained a wealth of public information. Williams said she’s currently looking for ways to stream the meetings publicly on the city’s website, making them widely available and not just for a select few.

Council members also had concerns about preparation under Burton. They raised concerns about being sent lengthy agenda packets, often hundreds of pages long, just days before council meetings. Sanco said for months she wasn’t sent agenda packets at all.

To better empower council, Williams has now instituted city council workshops. The idea, she said, is to provide a space for council members to ask questions and discuss agenda items before holding final votes.

“We're going to make sure that they are informed when they are making decisions on behalf of residents,” she said of city council. “We're not going to spend a lot of time at council meetings discussing things because they don't have the information beforehand.”

Williams also wants council members to feel empowered to make their own decisions.

“One thing that I am adamant about is that once you get the information, you vote according to what you believe is best for the people of Arcola. Yay or nay,” she said.

Council member Rosemary Bigby said she believes Arcola can go far under Williams’ leadership. As the city moves forward from this election season she wants residents to know they have the city’s best interests at heart.

“They can depend on us. We're going to do whatever it takes to keep them knowledgeable of what's going on in the city and able to come to us,” she said of residents.

Making Arcola a destination city

A large water tank beside city hall dons Arcola’s name in big, blue, bold letters signaling the city’s existence to drivers on Highway 6.

The city – which has no schools, libraries or parks – stretches about 2 square miles and is called home by more than 2,000 mostly Black and Latino residents.

Just a few miles in either direction Fort Bend and Brazoria counties are experiencing rapid and expansive development. Sandwiched between two of the region's most rapidly growing cities – Manvel and Missouri City – massive multifamily developments and shopping centers are popping up everywhere.

As these surrounding city’s grow, there becomes less of a reason for people to do business in Arcola, including the city’s own residents, Williams said.

“There's nothing in Arcola that they can’t get right down the street, at a convenience store. I want the residents of Arcola not to have to leave Arcola to get to the things they need,” she said.

Williams is drawing inspiration from that growth. She sees ways to create more jobs and to bring more businesses and attractions to Arcola.

She’s already been in talks with the developers at Post Oak Pointe to bring in retailers and restaurants to give locals and visitors things to do.

Bringing restaurants, patio bars and green space to the city are just a few things on her wish list. She said she also hopes to “woo” potential developers into bringing a grocery store or other chain establishments to the city.

The city also recently acquired 4 acres of land beside City Hall. Williams hopes to bring a community center to create an easily accessible and affordable space for residents not only to come together, but also host events.

“We want to bring in economic development that serves and services all of the residents of Arcola. That we can all benefit from,” she said.

“From Arcola, For Arcola”

As the youngest of 12 kids and the product of a military family, Williams watched many of her older siblings travel the world. Even though she followed in their footsteps and joined the Air Force Reserves while she was in college, Williams preferred to stay close to home.

After completing her education, she became the first person in her family to finish college. But she knew she wanted to return home and use her skills to give back.

She spent most of her career working with underserved communities in the region. She’s worked with students with mental disabilities at the Richmond State School and mothers who are HIV positive and children with incarcerated parents in Houston.

And 1996, she and her co-collaborator Pricilla T. Graham started a program to work directly with Arcola’s youth. The organization, Community Express, focuses on taking a well-rounded approach to address the social well-being of children.

Mayor pro-tempore Ebony Sanco said she’s excited to see where Arcola will go under Williams’ leadership.

“We are in safe hands,” she said. “I just really have a lot of faith in Mayor Veeda (Williams) knowing that she grew up down here, the changes she wants to see as far as more community events. I feel like the best is yet to come.”

The tumultuous election season put tiny Arcola at the center of national media attention. But as the dust slowly settles, Williams doesn’t want that to be the only thing the city is remembered for.

“Continue watching, I hope that wasn't the last time that they would look out for us (and) what's going on in the city of Arcola,” she said. “We're going to be pushing forward to do some good things in the city,”

Briah Lumpkins is a suburban reporter covering Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties. Know of something Briah should be looking into? Send her an email at [email protected].

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