Boards called to act in Texas probe

The Nueces River Authority board voted on April 14 to hire outside counsel to investigate allegations from former chief operating officer Travis Pruski against senior leadership. (kristv.com) The board’s special meeting notice said directors would discuss Pruski’s March 27, 2026 email in executive session, then take final action in open session on retaining outside legal counsel. The meeting began at 10 a.m. in Robstown. (nueces-ra.org) Local reports identified the outside lawyer as Kelli Cubeta of San Antonio-based Cubeta Law Group. Nueces River Authority board president Eric Burnett said the board would provide updates in a way that supports transparency and public confidence. (kiiitv.com) Pruski’s letter accused Executive Director John Byrum of presenting inaccurate water-sales figures for the Harbor Island desalination project, directing staff not to speak with board members, and putting a $30 million flood-mitigation grant at risk through delays. KRIS 6 reported that Byrum declined to comment, citing personnel matters. (kristv.com) One dispute centers on numbers presented at an August 8, 2025 board meeting. Pruski said Byrum told directors that 36 million gallons per day of Harbor Island capacity had been sold and paid for, while internal records showed 21 million gallons per day was committed at that time. (kristv.com) Those figures matter because the Harbor Island plant is tied to Corpus Christi’s drought planning. The city says its agreement with the authority gives Corpus Christi the right to receive desalinated water from the proposed plant as a future supply source. (corpuschristitx.gov) The money at stake is already substantial. Corpus Christi City Council voted on October 21, 2025 to pay a nonrefundable $2.7 million fee to reserve 50 million gallons per day from the proposed Harbor Island plant. (newsbreak.com) The authority itself is not a small local utility. The Nueces River Authority says it serves all or parts of 22 South Texas counties across more than 17,000 square miles and is governed by a 21-member board appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate. (nueces-ra.org) State pressure had already built before the April 14 vote. On April 2, Governor Greg Abbott called for a thorough investigation and said the board should act swiftly once the review is complete. (kiiitv.com) Corpus Christi leaders also took up the issue on April 14 as questions spread beyond the authority’s boardroom. The immediate next step is the outside counsel review the board just authorized. (caller.com)