Galveston Park Board audit exposes spouse payments and employee’s private business at city facility

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) — Galveston council members are demanding change after a new audit found park board employees broke policies.

Galveston’s Seawolf Park offers a place to fish, explore a naval ship and submarine, and enjoy water views. It is a popular spot not just to visit but also to book events and festivities that use private vendors. Usually, that’s not a problem for city leaders.

It was, though, on Thursday. During a Galveston workshop meeting, the council learned the person in charge of selecting events was also using their private business at some of them.

He told the auditor it was just a couple of times. But the auditor said a former employee came forward saying it happened a number of times.

“Where I take extreme issue with this is there was profit taken for somebody’s business, clearly breaking park board policy on city property,” Galveston City Councilmember Alex Porretto said.

It wasn’t just Seawolf Park’s concerns. The city auditor said he discovered that a parks board employee selected his wife’s company for training.

“Then, after the services were performed, he personally approved the payment,” Galveston City Councilmember Beau Rawlins said.

Discoveries were made after the city started to look closer at the parks board months ago, after former employee Angela Barton embezzled thousands of dollars.

While she’s gone, the auditor told the council, after sharing what he found involving the two directors, he’s not aware of them getting in trouble.

“If there’s no disciplinary action, and I don’t mean a slap on the wrist, and I’m not telling them how to do their management duties, but this is inappropriate,” Porretto explained.

The auditor didn’t provide names or say which department they were in. He recommended changes, including park board employees needing approval for private businesses and not allowing supervisors to cut checks to their family members.

The group said it’s considering those changes. While it does, the parks board may not manage Seawolf’s attraction for long.

City leaders are considering pulling two parks from the agency after what the audit revealed.

For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram.