I Asked Hubbard for Their Open Meetings Training Records
A Public Information Act request for Open Meetings Act training certificates revealed compliance gaps among Hubbard city officials.
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In January, I submitted a Public Information Act request to the City of Hubbard asking for Open Meetings Act training certificates for every member of the City Council, Mayor Mary Alderman, City Secretary Diana Hall, and City Manager Jason Patrick.
Texas Government Code Section 551.005 requires all elected and appointed officials serving on a governmental body to complete Open Meetings Act training within 90 days of taking office. The law places responsibility on the governmental body itself to maintain those certificates and make them available for public inspection.
The city responded about ten days later. Five certificates were provided. Three officials had no certificates at all.
What the Certificates Showed
Of the five certificates included in the response, two belonged to Aldermen Simone Johnson and Brandon Ivy. Both had completed their training months before my request: Johnson in the spring of 2025 and Ivy the following month.
The remaining three certificates raised a question worth noting.
City Secretary Diana Hall completed her training the same day the request was received. Mayor Pro-Tem Kenneth Baldwin completed his the following day. City Manager Jason Patrick completed his on the same day the city sent its response, roughly ten days after the request was filed.
Three officials completed mandatory state training in the window between a records request asking for proof of that training and the city's response.
Three Officials With No Certificates
The response did not include certificates for Mayor Mary Alderman, Alderman Wayne Taylor, or Alderman Roger Lynch. The city did not explain the omission and did not state that no records exist for these individuals.
Under Section 551.005, the training is not optional. It is a statutory requirement for every member of a governmental body subject to the Open Meetings Act. The absence of certificates for three sitting officials raises questions about whether they have ever completed the required training.
A Filing Gap
The email chain attached to Brandon Ivy's certificate revealed something else. Ivy completed his training in the spring of 2025 and forwarded the certificate to Mayor Alderman, who acknowledged receiving it. The certificate was not forwarded to the City Secretary's office.
It was not until January 2026, days after my PIA request was filed, that the certificate finally reached the City Secretary.
Section 551.005(c) places responsibility on the governmental body to maintain training certificates for public inspection. In this case, a certificate sat unfiled for roughly eight months.
Looking Ahead
Three officials have not provided evidence of completing a statutory training requirement. The certificates the city did provide show training completed in the days following this request. And at least one record the city is required to maintain was not on file until prompted by a public records request.
I will continue requesting records from the City of Hubbard as part of ongoing coverage.
Have information about Hubbard city government? Reach out: [email protected]