KIRBY, TEXAS — The Kirby City Council voted 4-3 on July 9, 2026, to expel Councilmember Susan Street from that evening’s meeting. A Kirby police officer escorted Street out of the chamber immediately after the vote.

Mayor Janeshia Grider stated the council believed Street’s conduct during the meeting was disruptive. “The behavior cited included repeated interruptions during another council member’s speaking time, anger and rudeness directed towards staff,” Grider said. She added, “The conduct was found to directly interfere with the orderly transaction of city business. This action was not taken lightly.”

Before the expulsion vote, Grider issued a second warning to Street during the meeting, followed by a third warning without stating the reason. The meeting included discussion of an agenda item concerning the Texas Water Development Board. During that discussion, Street questioned City Manager Brian Rowland about why a resolution application for water line extensions omitted the requested amount of financial assistance.

“Resolutions come through all the time with empty spaces on them,” Street said. “I’ve just never called it out before. I’m doing it now.” Rowland responded that if the resolution failed to pass, the city would lose eligibility for the associated grant.

An individual off camera later suggested the council move to expel Street, though the council did not provide a stated reason for the expulsion vote. Street had been elected to the Kirby City Council in 2025 and represents one of the city’s districts serving approximately 8,000 residents.

Tensions between Street and city leadership predate the July 9 meeting. In March 2026, Rowland filed a formal complaint accusing Street of creating a hostile work environment, which she denied. “They’re coming after me because I ask a lot of questions that they don’t want to answer,” Street said at the time. The council had previously reprimanded Street in March 2026 and ordered her to undergo anger management counseling following allegations she violated the city charter by disparaging city employees and fellow officials.

According to UTSA political science professor Jon Taylor, the Kirby City Charter stipulates that removing an elected council member requires a recall election initiated by a petition signed by registered voters. The July 9 expulsion occurred despite the absence of such a process on the meeting agenda, and the council’s authority to remove a member without it remains legally contested.

On July 10, Grider posted a video explanation of the expulsion to the city’s Facebook page. She declined to speak with KSAT reporters, accusing the station of twisting the narrative. Grider has previously avoided media inquiries; in 2025, she refused five interview requests regarding Rowland’s rehiring. The city had fired Rowland in 2024 following employee complaints but rehired him with a pay raise.

The expulsion raises questions about procedural adherence and the balance of power in local government. While the council cited disruption, it acted without following the charter-mandated recall process, and the meeting agenda contained no provision for such a vote. The incident reflects deeper tensions between elected officials and city staff that have persisted since Rowland’s controversial rehiring and Street’s persistent scrutiny of administrative decisions.