Midland Mayor Enforces Decorum Policy After Precedent of Leniency

Resident removed from City Council meeting for violating new strict enforcement of rules

Jan. 28, 2026 at 6:15pm

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Midland City Council is enforcing its decorum policy, which has been in place since August 2019, to the letter - a marked change from the previously lenient precedent. At Tuesday's meeting, Mayor Lori Blong had a resident, Shandi Williams, removed by police after she arrived late and began shouting from the audience to complain about a controversial drainage fee increase that was being voted on.

Why it matters

The renewed enforcement of the decorum policy, which limits public comment and requires advance sign-up, has raised concerns from some residents that their voices are being silenced on important issues facing the city. The mayor cited state laws that allow governmental bodies to adopt reasonable rules regarding public participation.

The details

Under the decorum policy, members of the public must fill out a request to speak form and submit it before the meeting starts in order to be allowed to address the council. Williams arrived about 5 minutes late to the meeting due to inclement weather and was not allowed to speak, leading her to shout from the audience. After being warned by the mayor, Williams continued the disruption and was then instructed by Blong to leave, which she did on her own without being physically removed.

  • The decorum policy has been in place since August 2019.
  • At the January 13th City Council meeting, former District 3 City Council candidate Shandi Williams was physically removed by police but allowed to return minutes later.
  • At the January 28th meeting, Mayor Blong announced the city would be enforcing the decorum policy "to the letter" going forward.

The players

Lori Blong

The mayor of Midland who led the enforcement of the decorum policy at the January 28th City Council meeting.

Shandi Williams

A former District 3 City Council candidate who was removed from the January 28th meeting for violating the decorum policy after arriving late and shouting from the audience.

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What they’re saying

“The rules are in effect, they're publicly posted and they are not optional. These rules are supported by the Texas Government Code and by the penal code provisions that authorize the presiding officer to maintain order and ensure that this body can conduct its business without disruption. Recent conduct has interfered with that responsibility. Effective immediately, we will be enforcing these rules as written to restore and to maintain order in this chamber.”

— Lori Blong, Mayor of Midland

“We had a very specific agenda item that has caused a lot of controversy. City Council silenced its constituents. The mayor's precedent was abandoned to get (the city's) narrative across. They don't care what we have to say. They've already made up their minds. This is them telling us that our voices don't matter.”

— Shandi Williams, Former District 3 City Council candidate

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Shandi Williams to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between local government and residents over public participation and transparency, with the mayor citing state laws to justify strict enforcement of meeting rules, while some residents feel their voices are being silenced on important issues facing the city.