JEFF PEÑA for Freeport - Ward-A

09/26/2025

It’s nice to see the court appeals confirm that Freeport City Attorney Chris Duncan was right.

Duncan called the Port’s legal bluff... and I called the Port's real estate bluff.. as I maintained the East End was worth $30+Million... while they tried to steal it from Freeport for $400k

When the Port threatened to use eminent domain against the City of Freeport, Chris Duncan, the city attorney informed council the law was on our side and that this was the law: The Port would be required to tell us the proposed use, and further they would be required to prove, to a jury, that they had no other property available. He printed out pages from the Port website where the Port was marketing 100’s of other acres available for Port tenants. Council posted those printouts in council chambers to send a message to the Port, if you fight us in court, you will lose.

Then Crony Councilman Troy Brimage told the council to give up, he said the Port will beat us and poor Freeport could never win.

Who's team was Brimage on? Not Freeport's.

The Port, along with Troy Brimage and worst mayor in Freeport's History, Brooks Bass, tried to tell Freeport $400k was a good deal and to hurry up n take it before we lose everything in court.

As i said then and still now.. it is clear Brimage and Bass were never for Freeport...but for their county boys....

Makes you wonder.. if any quid pro quo was in play....hmm??

Maybe it was something like the usual horse trading game.. where Freeport residents lose and the good ol boys "divy the spolis.."

"
Yeah..we will give away the East End to you guys.. and you can then give me something later in exchange... like maybe campaign support for when I run for some future county judge or state position."

Never forget Freeport..

What Rhymes with Crooks Bass?

And.. as many residents have always told me :

"Tricky Troy... always in it for himself .."

Guess what happened next!?

Then Bass and Brimage voted to FIRE Duncan .. I guess he knew too much legal
' smart talk' to foil their political ambitions and county promises.

After Duncan was fired in 2022.. they then tried to make sure i didnt get re-elected in 2023.

But too bad..Sorry..not sorry.. I won re-election in 2023... and held firm.

I wasn't gonna be silenced then and still not today.

And Leaning on Duncan's legal recommendation I continued to press the Port for Freeport to get no less than $12 Million.

Ask Port Commissioner Robert Gieseke.. we had lunch at Maria's Kitchen on Ave A just a couple of weeks before the final vote.. I told him I was at $12Million... the Port had come up to $1Million.

The result was ..

The Port backed down on their eminent domain court threats and agreed to pay the City of Freeport..

Freeport got almost $9 million and OA Fleming.

I’m glad the Council listened to Duncan on the law and fought long enough to get more than the peanuts of $1Million..

Most law firms.. woulda just gone w the good ol boys and settled.

Not Duncan.
And not on my watch.

Thank you Chris Duncan... a true homegrown local Freeport boy ..who grew up on 9th street ...went to college.. came back to help his hometown... and honored his oath to Serve Freeport First!

Port Freeport must specify how it plans to use property it seeks to acquire through eminent domain or it can't legally take it, a state appeals court panel ruled.

09/19/2025

🙏🏻'n for each of your safety on and off duty..

09/18/2025

The professionalism and compassion for our furry loved ones 🐕🦮🐕‍🦺🐈‍⬛🐈that Ms.Burton and Mr. Willard demonstrate toward our Freeport families is why we 💙our PD! 👮👮‍♀️ Add these two to the Hero List with Torres! 🦸‍♂️

🌟 August Employees of the Month 🌟

The City of Freeport is proud to honor Animal Control Officer Shana Burton and Sergeant Chuck Willard as our August Employees of the Month!

09/16/2025

Crooked Mayor Jerry Cain & Lazy Matamorass screw Freeport Residents Tax Dollars bc they're too Lazy to do the job they were elected to do!

09/05/2025

⭐💵👮‍♂️🚒 Freeport — It’s time to step up! ⭐💵👮‍♂️🚒

If we want the Best Qualified & Competent Staff at City Hall, it starts at the top… but really, it starts with US demanding transparency + accountability. 💯

Right now, we’re lucky to have three Councilmen -working professionally and responsively to help deliver cost-cutting and smart use of YOUR tax dollars. And of course we need your help to ensure City Hall does just that!🧐



👉 Let’s keep raising the bar.
👉 Let’s keep attracting leaders of this caliber.
👉 Let’s make City Hall work for the people of Freeport.

💥 Share this if you agree: we deserve a City Hall that’s efficient, accountable, and built to serve US!

🙏 Thank you City Hall for posting this info! This is what a professionally run City Hall should look like:Transparency and Communication ..

Now we just gotta get this budget right... so we don' waste tax dollars on Non-Essential Expenses or on items less than 5% of Freeport Residents even use!






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🚨 We’re Hiring! 🚨

The City of Freeport is looking for talented and dedicated individuals to join our growing team. 🌟

Open Positions Available in Multiple Departments:
👩‍🚒 Fire/EMS – EMT (Basic, Advanced, or Paramedic), Firefighter/EMT, Deputy Fire & EMS Chief – Fire Marshal
👮 Police – Patrol Officer, Dispatcher, School Crossing Guard
🏗️ Building – Building Inspector
🛠️ Public Works – Maintenance Tech I, Drainage Supervisor, Building Maintenance Lead
🎉 Recreation – Recreation Attendant

📌 Ready to make a difference in your community? Apply today!

👉 Visit: www.freeporttx.gov

📞 Call: 979-233-3526

09/04/2025

🚨 In Case You Missed It, Freeport… Let’s Be Honest 🚨

The last four council meetings have been met with constant opposition from Jerry Cain and George Matamorass—opposition that always comes down to one thing: fighting against transparency, public input, and anything Pena votes for (aka 🤯Peña Derangement Syndrome 🤯). ❌👀

So when you hear Cain say he “likes the way meetings are going,” what he’s really doing is trying to take credit for rules and demands for transparency that myself, Councilman Davis, and Councilman Rossow fought for and won. 🛑🤐

Cain is as Dishonest as he is Corrupt, trying to prevent his corrupt cover-ups from being exposed.
Sorry Jerry… not Sorry. It’s coming out. All of it. And the public won’t forget. 💥

These changes didn’t come from Cain—they came from Davis, Rossow, and Pena pushing back against corruption, cover-ups, and bad actions from former (and even some current) City Hall officials and board members.

Just look at the votes:
3 to 2.
Davis. Rossow. Pena.
All for transparency and accountability. ✅

Let’s not forget:

Who wanted to cover up the investigation and suspension of the Chief? Cain and Matamorass. 👮‍♂️⚠️

Who hid behind Olson’s lies and poor legal advice for years to break the very laws and ordinances they swore to uphold? Cain and Matamorass. 💀

The double standards have to stop.

And now—with the restoration of 4 minutes for EVERY resident to speak at council meetings—we’re moving in the right direction. 🗣️
If you don’t like hearing from the public, you shouldn’t be mayor or on council.

💥 Then there are the stacked public boards…
Cain and Matamorass push for less resident involvement, instead picking their “yes men” to rubber-stamp decisions. That is the OPPOSITE of what Freeport needs.

It only shows they want full control of city money and resources without accountability or explanation. Why? Because they cannot defend their corrupt actions to residents and don’t want dialogue with the public—or even their fellow councilmen.

But those days are ending.
No more secrets. No more cover-ups. No more hiding.
Change is here.

And it starts at the top—with leadership from Davis, Pennington, Pena Hurst, Howell, Rossow, and Duncan. More changes are coming at the board level too. No more board-stacking.

But truly, it started with YOU—the residents—standing for the truth. That is what Davis, Rossow, and I are standing up for: transparency, public participation, and vision in action. 💡🛡️

Because Freeport’s tax dollars should go to things that grow Freeport—housing, rooftops, residents, business development, waterfronts, infrastructure, beaches, and rivers. 🌊🏘️

This is only the beginning.
More to come…

🌴 Freeport City Council Recap — September 2, 2025 🌴

Here’s what your Council covered last night:

✅ Employee Holiday Calendar — Approved the holiday calendar for FY 2025-2026.
📜 Proclamation — Declared September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month in Freeport.
💵 Public Hearing — Heard public input on the FY 2025-2026 budget.
💡 Street Lighting Plan — Considered and approved the 2025 Annual Street Lighting Plan.
📘 Policy Handbook — Reviewed and revised policies on employee wages and wellness benefit requirements.
👮 Public Information Officer — Appointed Chief Howell as the City’s official PIO during an active school shooting.
🚓 Surplus Property — Considered certain city property as surplus to donate to a local police department. (tabled)
🗣️ Public Comment Rules — Discussed requiring all City boards to allow 4 minutes for public comments.
👥 Board Nomination Rules — Discussed establishing clearer rules for how Council nominates board members.
🏡 Housing Development — Considered engaging a qualified real estate representative to strengthen housing development outcomes.

👉 Thanks to everyone who came out, spoke up, or tuned in! Every voice matters as we shape Freeport’s future together.

📅 Next Meeting: Monday, September 15, 2025 – Council will vote on the FY 2025-2026 budget and tax rate.

09/04/2025

This is the kind of communication that has been sorely missed.. proactive notices... and for that matter providing the reasons and who will be affected. We've always expected more from City Hall bc they could do better ..but didn't. And now.. this: A step in the right direction. Thank you. means a better managed city hall.

Boil Water Notice (Planned Work)
This boil water notice is not the result of a break or failure. It is part of planned system improvements that were scheduled and coordinated in advance.

When: Thursday, September 4, 2025, starting at 8:00 AM
Where: Area near East 5th St. and FM 1495 (limited industrial customers only)
What’s happening: A contractor will tie into the City water main to support planned improvements. Service in a limited industrial area will be temporarily impacted.

Who is affected: Only select industrial customers in the Port area near East 5th & FM 1495 who were notified in advance and agreed to the scheduled shutdown. No residential customers are affected.

After work is complete: As a precaution, a boil water notice will be in effect for the impacted customers. Our certified laboratory partner will collect Bac-T samples and report results as soon as possible. The notice will be lifted once results are confirmed satisfactory.

09/01/2025

The Real Freeport Beach Patrol.. making Freeport's Beach Safe and Clean.

🎉 Happy Labor Day from the Freeport Police Department! 🏖️👮‍♀️👮‍♂️
As we celebrate the hard work and dedication of our community, we encourage everyone to enjoy the holiday safely! Whether you're relaxing at the beach, grilling with family, or heading out on the road, we encourage you to stay alert, stay hydrated, and look out for one another. 🚗🌭☀️
Our officers will be out and about, keeping things safe and festive. Give us a wave! 👋
Have fun, be safe, and let’s make this Labor Day one to remember! 🇺🇸💙

08/21/2025

Your Elected Leaders Representing Freeport @
County Council Association



&Pena-Representing Freeport