New city councilman steps in for West Orange

There was a new city councilman seated on the West Orange City Council.

The Rev. Randy Branch was appointed and sworn in at the regular meeting of the city council on Monday. He will fill the vacancy left when Carl Thibodeaux, former Orange County judge, was appointed as a municipal court judge for the city of West Orange at their regular meeting last month.

He officially and immediately resigned his city council.

As a municipal court judge, Thibodeaux will handle third degree misdemeanors such as shoplifting up to $50 of value, traffic infringements and code enforcement matters. He served two years as an associate municipal court judge too.

Branch has been a resident of West Orange for 45 years, he has lived at his current residence for 32 years. He retired from DuPont after 35 years.

He pastors Wesley United Methodist Church in Orange.

Branch said his name was brought up at a prior council meeting. He added that he gave a little thought about serving because it interested him.

"Maybe I'll be involved in public service a little more than I was," Branch said.

Mayor Roy McDonald said he wanted to thank the several city council members who advised Branch the pros and cons of being a councilman.

In other city council business, a public hearing was to be held Tuesday evening to close out the Texas Community Development Block Grant Program.

McDonald said a water improvement grant of $250,000 was used for the water department to replace bad lines. Water was infiltrating into the sewer system. The grant was used for low to moderate income areas of the city.