As expected, the Odessa mayoral debate revealed big differences between incumbent Javier Joven, who bragged about his accomplishments over the last four years, and opponent, Cal Hendrick, who said Joven and the Odessa City Council have failed to deliver basic services.
The hour-long debate on Basin PBS was moderated by Becky Ferguson and Mary Kate Hamilton of Channel 7.
During the debate, Joven repeatedly said that once former city council members Detra White, Mari Willis and Tom Sprawls left the dais in November 2022, the new council was able to start addressing the city’s roads, water and trash concerns that had been ignored by Hendrick’s “establishment friends.” He also claimed credit for first responders receiving long-deserved raises and a fully staffed police and fire department.
When the candidates were asked how they’d address Odessa’s water issues, Joven said $25 million has been set aside to replace the city’s water valves and water lines.
Hendrick said he’d begin by using the city’s water master plan that was created just six months before Joven took office and which he said had been “completely ignored.”
Joven listed among his other accomplishments the creation of a human trafficking prevention task force, a Sanctuary City for the Unborn resolution and efforts to keep biological men out of women’s bathrooms.
The mayor noted Hendrick did not answer several questions on a survey created by the Texas Pastoral Alliance.
Hendrick acknowledged he didn’t fill out the survey because it was clear the committee was supporting Joven.
“And, there is church and state. it’s called the Establishment Clause and the Bill of Rights, First Amendment, separation of church and state. Thomas Jefferson talked about it. It’s common law,” Hendrick said.
As for Joven’s repeated accusations about his “establishment friends,” Hendrick said he had no idea what he was talking about.
“There’s no hidden agenda. I don’t have any friends that…I don’t know what he’s talking about, but what I want to do is have water, trash, police, fire, parks, make Odessa the best city ever.”
The candidates were also asked about the city’s ongoing trash problems, with the moderators pointing out citizens were promised six months ago new trucks were on their way and reduced trash pickups would return to normal.
Hendrick said the council should have seen to the ordering of more trucks years ago and pointed out that if the issue was damaged or inoperable parts, Odessa has 200 fabricators in town.
Hendrick also said he would have asked about running double shifts or borrowing trucks from private trash companies or the City of Midland.
”There are solutions to every problem. An elegant solution. What you have to do is work the problem. I don’t personally feel the problem was worked,” Hendrick said.
Joven told the moderators trucks have been purchased over the last three years and the trash problem is being addressed.
”It’s not a lack of mechanics. It’s not lack of fabrication. The thing is, is that my opponent’s establishment friends, once again, was running this town and they had carte blanche and they did not invest and allowed the aging infrastructure in vehicles to go beyond seven to nine years,” Joven said.
Joven was asked why the council budgeted $31.8 million for roads, but only spent $14.9 million. He didn’t answer. Instead, he pointed out Highway 80, West County Road, Grandview, University, 42nd Street and Loop 338 are the responsibility of the Texas Department of Transportation.
The mayor also insisted the roads are being addressed.
”I’ve asked people at the city what the problem is. There’s multiple accounts. One of them’s water, one of them’s roads. They’re not spending the money. Why? I’ve yet to get a straight answer. I honestly don’t know,” Hendrick said.
He speculated it could be because nearly all of the city’s department heads have left the city since the city council terminated the contracts of City Manager Michael Marrero and City Attorney Natasha Brooks in December 2022.
The candidates also hit on transparency during the debate.
”The City of Odessa has a long-standing, highly publicized feud with the Odessa American. What is your view on the importance of journalism and its role in educating the public and holding public officials to a standard of honesty and transparency?”
Joven replied by saying, “Well, I’ve never been aware of any type of feud and so the thing is, is that I’ve sold a lot of papers for the OA, even though it’s a former daily paper.”
He then mentioned the recent signing of a contract with the Texas Government Accountability Association, which will create policies designed to hold the city more accountable and make it more transparent.
Hendrick said he wouldn’t call the relationship the city has with the OA a “feud.”
”What I would say is the city itself has gotten itself into a jam by having all of these problems,” Hendrick said, describing multiple water boil notices and water leaks.
”That’s news they’re gonna report on. It’s called the First Amendment. They were right to report on what’s going on in the community,” Hendrick said.
The firings of Marrero and Brooks was newsworthy as is the three-year contracts recently provided to City Manager John Beckmeyer and other city appointees and the city’s trash issues, Hendrick said.
“I really can’t blame the newspaper for reporting the news. I don’t think there’s a feud. I think there’s a lot of news that needs to be reported. It’s been reported and so the newspaper is doing its job. The city needs to do its job,” Hendrick said.
The candidates were also asked how important social issues such as abortions and transgender bathrooms are when compared to the city’s problems.
”I think social issues are not part of the city’s business. City provides water, roads, police, parks, fire, rescue. It’s not the city’s business,” Hendrick said. “What I’m going to focus on when I’m elected mayor is focusing on those things, the things that citizens pay for…”
If someone’s interested in social issues they need to run for Congress or the State House of Representatives, he said.
Hendricks said that when the city’s wastewater plant fails, Odessa will shut down so it needs to be addressed immediately.
Joven responded by incorrectly saying the wastewater plant is about 90% completed, when, in fact, the city’s water plant is nearing completion. Work on the Bob Derrington Wastewater Treatment Plant has not yet begun and questions about how to pay for its rehabilitation haven’t been answered.
”Social issues are really critical,” Joven said, before going on and predicting dire results for the country should Vice President Kamala Harris get elected next month.
”If Kamala is able to sit there and win this election in November, Title IX has already been decimated, there is a abortion clinic in every zip code within Odessa, United States, and it’s Plan B through your pharmacies. It exists. It is happening. This is the fight that’s going on. We can’t put our heads in the sand. This is critical for us to be able to address.”
Asked about their ability to get along with others on the council, Joven said 95% of the time the council agrees on city business and Hendrick said he learned that people can disagree without being disagreeable. He also pointed out he’s been a mediator for more than 20 years so he knows how to get people to work together to reach a mutual resolution.
When asked his thoughts on social media, ethics and respect, Hendrick bemoaned the ugliness of social media, but pointed out the First Amendment exists. Joven said he believes social media is leading to bullying and suicides.
When asked if Joven condones the political action committee Save Odessa, which has attacked one candidate’s personal life, Joven said he didn’t know it.
”Political action committees. They’re an entity on its own,” Joven said. “So the thing is, as a candidate, I’m running my campaign. I have no control of what’s going on outside my office in my small group.”
When Joven was asked why so many employees have left the city and how the city could improve employee retention, Joven corrected Hendrick’s earlier assertion that the terminations of Marrero and Brooks cost the city $1 million, but he didn’t answer the question.
Hendrick said people don’t leave good jobs, they leave bad managers. He contended that roads weren’t being repaired and the city lost its bond ratings because so many department heads have left the city, taking their institutional knowledge with them.
Hendrick was referring to the fact Standard & Poor and Moody’s withdrew the city’s bond ratings in June because the 2022 and 2023 audits weren’t finished on time – an issue confirmed by City Manager John Beckmeyer in multiple media interviews.
Joven insisted Hendrick didn’t have his facts right.
”It was never lost. When you basically saying you’re lost, it was taken away and that didn’t happen,” Joven said.
Hendrick was then asked if he would have hired City Manager John Beckmeyer to replace Marrero and Joven was asked why he hired Beckmeyer when he didn’t meet any of the qualifications set out by the council.
Hendrick said he would not have hired Beckmeyer because he clearly didn’t have the education nor the experience needed for the job.
Joven complained the moderators only mentioned a couple of the qualifications listed for the position “to fit your narrative.”
“If I were to do it again today, I would hire John Beckmeyer 10 times over because he’s not more than just qualified, he’s been exceptional for the City of Odessa,” Joven said.
Asked by Hamilton about the decision to give Beckmeyer and city appointees a three-year contract that pays out even if they leave early, Joven said the entire city council discussed them and didn’t bring up any issues with them. He then disputed the terms of the contract as laid out by Hamilton.
”When you look at the size of the City of Odessa and the price that we got for these appointees, it’s a very reasonable price. The thing is, that you have to read the entire contract. Those stipulations that you’re saying are not there,” Joven said.
When asked if that means they won’t get paid out, Joven said he didn’t have the contracts with him.
”The thing is, is that if they wind up quitting. The thing is that when you’re doing these contracts and when you let someone, and you don’t have a cause, you can negotiate those,” Joven said.
”Can you give me a yes or no? Will they be paid out of their contracts if they walk away?” Hamilton asked.
”Really, once again, I answered the question. Read the contract,” Joven said.
Hendrick, who said he’s seen a lot of employment contracts over the last 35 years, said he’s never seen a guaranteed contract like the ones given to the city manager and other appointees.
The candidates were given two minutes for a closing statement.
Hendrick took a moment and clarified his earlier statement about Marrero and Brooks’ pay-outs. When you add in attorneys’ fees, the city did pay out close to $1 million, he said.
Hendrick also told viewers that lawyers have an old saying about pounding on the law and pounding on the facts when they’re in your favor, but if you’ve “got nothing” you just pound loudly.
”I heard a lot of that tonight. I’ve not heard really any answers to the problems,” Hendrick said.
His answer will be to follow the city’s master plans, to look at the issues and work up solutions.
”As a life-long Republican and a West Texas redneck, I’m a get-her-done kind of guy and I get it done, so I ask for your vote for Mayor of the City of Odessa,” Hendrick said.
Joven went over his list of accomplishments again and spoke about his faith.
“We cleaned the swamp and I’m asking for four more years,” Joven said.
