District 2 Council Member· 2024-2026
David Finklea
Galveston
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 8
- Total speaking time
- 28:29
- Avg per meeting
- 3:34
- Segments
- 497
Want every word Finklea has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Finklea said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (20)
Comprehensive Plan Update
Planning efforts will guide future capital improvements and municipal expenditures.
Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Planning
Impacts the entire operating budget of the Galveston Park Board for the upcoming fiscal year.
Parks & Recreation Facility and Operations Updates
Impacts funding and operational maintenance for Galveston's major beach parks and public amenities.
Mobile Food Vendor Regulations
Removes city fee collection for mobile food vendor permits, resulting in a minor loss of municipal revenue.
Infrastructure and Facility Maintenance
Requires significant capital improvement investments.
Beach Patrol Operational Oversight
Operational costs are managed through the Park Board budget.
Employee Health Benefits
Will impact city budget allocations for employee healthcare and insurance premiums.
Economic Development Capacity
Not yet known — the draft policy will define how much public money could be committed to business incentives.
Lot Size Variance at 4528 Avenue Q 1/2
None for the city; allows the property owners to manage their private real estate assets independently.
Galveston Housing Projects and Property Programs
Financial support involves local housing funds and potential municipal bond-related advisory services.
Financial Reporting and Administrative Matters
Involves ongoing pension fund payouts and monthly financial management.
Fiscal Year 2025 Unaudited Financial Statements & Investment Policy
Informational only — no spending decision attached.
Lethal Bronzing Disease
Potential costs associated with disease treatment or removal of infected palms.
Beach Maintenance and Coastal Management
Not stated in the agenda materials.
Sister City Program Expansion
Limited to administrative allocations for flags, memberships, and occasional gifts.
Beach Maintenance and Coastal Management
Specific FY 2027 spending figures have not been published in the agenda materials.
Dune Mitigation and Coastal Development
Private investment for residential site preparation.
Right-of-Way Abandonment Requests
Unknown.
Port Operations and Governance
The booming cruise industry is a major driver of sales tax revenue for the city, supporting local businesses and tourism.
Public Art and Project Updates
Involves private event art installation costs coordinated with municipal right-of-way guidelines.
Moved or seconded (4)
Motions Finklea personally put forward or seconded. Attribution comes from the minutes; where the minutes name somebody we cannot match to the roster we leave it out rather than guess, so this is a floor, not a total.
- secondedpassed2026-02-26
Consider authorizing the City manager to approve a proposal from BRW Architects, a pre- qualified Architectural firm from the RFQ 24-02 IDIQ, to provide architectural services for the Beach Patrol facility in the amount of $316,400.00. The scope of work includes
Title matched to the agenda, not quoted from the motion
- movedpassed 6-02026-01-22
Council Member Finklea made a motion moving Mark Metzger from Alternate to Position 3, and appointing Gannon Rawlins as Alternate
- movedpassed2026-01-22
Consider For Approval An Ordinance Of The City Of Galveston, Texas, Designating The Property Located At 2210 31st Street, As A “Galveston Landmark”, Property Is Legally Described As M.B. Menard Survey, Part Of Lots 1 & 2 (2001-2) Southwest Block 114, Galveston Outlots, In The City And County Of Galv
Title matched to the agenda, not quoted from the motion
- movedpassed2026-01-22
Council Member Finklea made a motion to appoint Carl Aronson
Decisions during term (228)
Recorded while Finklea was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Canvass May 2, 2026 General Election Returns
Order June 13, 2026 Runoff Election
ADJOURNMENT
Approval of Minutes for April 8, 2026
Case 26Z-003: Variance Request for 1602-1606 Avenue L
Adjournment
License to Use for Construction Fencing and Scaffolding (26P-017)
Approval of Minutes
April 21, 2026 - Workshop
April 21, 2026 - Regular Meeting
Approval of Minutes
Certificate of Appropriateness - 1601 24th Street (26LC-007)
License to Use - Adjacent to 302 21st Street (26LC-006)
April 20, 2026
Designate 1813 24th Street as a Galveston Landmark
Grant Alcohol Variance for 2525 Jones Drive
Renew Youth Services Standards of Care
Approve Consent Items (11A through 11DD, excluding 11K)
Approve TxDOT Interlocal Agreement for Ferry Security (Item 11K)
Appoint Ethics Commission Members
Voting record (1)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.