Colleyville City Council has appointed Mark Alphonso, a member of the city’s planning and zoning commission, to fill the vacant council seat formerly held by George Bond.
Bond resigned from his position as the Place 2 council member in late May after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence twice this year. The first arrest happened Feb. 14, 2024, and the second occurred May 23.
Following Bond’s second arrest, Mayor Bobby Lindamood requested his resignation, saying at the time that the arrest “called into question George’s ability to serve as an elected official for our great city.”
Alphonso’s appointment was unanimously approved during a June 4 council meeting. Lindamood said council selected Alphonso from an “extensive” list of candidates that included both council recommendations and applicants who put themselves forward for the role.
The city’s communications office did not respond to the Report’s request for the list of candidates.
Alphonso was not in attendance at the meeting, as he was on vacation with his family. He said in a text message to the Report that the appointment is a “great honor.”
“I plan to approach this role with transparency and active engagement in the community, listening to residents to enhance our community’s quality of life while also promoting our local businesses,” Alphonso said.
Mayor Pro Tem Brandi Elder said council evaluated several considerations before selecting Alphonso, including an understanding of the issues that impact the Colleyville community, the potential to work collaboratively and the ability to be respectful and open to the views of other council members and city staff.
Alphonso has served on the planning and zoning commission since November 2022. He graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in business. He is a member of the Colleyville Chamber of Commerce and served as chairman in 2023.
Before Alphonso’s appointment, Lindamood addressed Bond, who was not in attendance at the June 4 meeting.
“George, we want you to know that we love you. You’re a dang good friend, and we want you to do what’s good for you and your family,” Lindamood said. “The whole city of Colleyville has got your back, and we hope the best for you, buddy.”
Bond did not respond to the Report’s request for comment.
According to the city charter, council members were required to appoint Bond’s replacement within 30 days of his resignation. It states they were not to call a special election, as his resignation occurred within 120 days of a regular election.
Alphonso will serve as the Place 2 council member until May 2025, when the seat will go up for election. He will likely be sworn into office when council meets at 7 p.m. June 18, city attorney Nicole Corr said, unless council calls a special meeting before that.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org or @bycecilialenzen on X.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.