The College Station city council’s decision add a name to the nature center at Lick Creek Park was not unanimous.
Thursday’s 4-1 vote to name the facility for former mayor and councilman Gary Halter followed an exchange between councilmembers Elizabeth Cunha and Dennis Maloney.
Cunha first attempted to delay final action because she wanted to exercise a city policy to discuss Halter’s nomination by Maloney.
Maloney told Cunha that the council has final authority and could vote on the nomination.
Cunha then said 96 percent of city facilities are named for people who are White, while the city has zero named for Asians and Hispanics when Asians make up ten percent of the city’s population and Hispanics make up 17 percent of College Station’s population.
Cunha told Maloney “If the color of his skin might have impacted his opportunities, his opportunities to hold the silver shovel instead of the rusted one, that’s what we’re being mindful of.”
She also said that 22 percent of city facilities are named for former mayors and councilmembers.
Maloney said “The fact that a person’s complexion has nothing to with the person’s will and his compassion and his love for his community. People who measure things by complexion are by definition racist. I don’t buy into it. I don’t care what color you are. I don’t know what their religion is either. I don’t know what their economic background is either. I don’t know what their political philosophies are either. I don’t care. What I look at is their actions. What did this person do? And did he do a great thing or not? And if he did, I support him.”
Supporting the naming of the center for Halter was a member of the city’s parks and recreation committee, Don Hellriegel.
Cunha voted no. Voting yes were Maloney, Mooney, Harvell, and John Nichols.
John Crompton abstained for an undisclosed reason, and Bob Brick was absent from the council meeting.
Click below for comments from the July 14, 2022 College Station city council meeting.