TEXARKANA, Texas - Meg Shelton, executive director of the Sulphur River Basin Authority, resigned her position Wednesday in a letter she sent to the authority's board of directors.
In the letter, she states that during a conference call with SRBA Chairman Chris Spencer and Board Member Bret McCoy "it has been determined that I am not the right fit for the SRBA, as it seems our vision for the authority no longer aligns."
Shelton declined to comment further on her resignation. She was hired as executive director on March 20. 2019.
Spencer said he did not have a comment on Shelton's reason for leaving the river authority, as it was an internal personnel matter, but expressed his thanks to her for leading the organization for more than a year.
"We appreciate the valuable contributions that Meg made to the Sulphur River Basin Authority and we wish her the best in her future endeavors," he said. "Never one to look back, the SRBA will be moving forward in its search for a new executive director."
Shelton's letter goes on to state that she is proud of the progress SRBA has achieved during her tenure and that they had done so "without sacrificing on issues that are important to our stakeholders."
The executive director position was created through the direction of Texas House Bill 2180, passed in 2017, which required SRBA to change how it operates, including increased transparency with the media and the public and board training on the Texas Open Meetings Act. The bill also required SRBA to seek additional funding, as it is funded by an entity comprised of five water districts in the Dallas Metroplex-the cities of Dallas and Irving, North Texas Municipal Water District, Tarrant Regional and the Upper Trinity Water District-all seeking water for their projected population growth. The funding agreement includes a clause that the funding parties, now known as a consulting committee, will receive 80% of the yield from any water supply projects developed by the authority and SRBA will receive 20% at no cost.
SRBA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1985 to preserve, protect and develop resources within the basin, but was not given a funding source. The Dallas entities have given $7.9 million over the past several years for water resources planning, which includes private and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studies to develop water resources in the basin, including the controversial proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir in the western portion of the basin and the reallocation of Wright Patman Lake. Reallocation would change the purpose of the lake from flood protection to water storage and the level could be raised for additional supplies.
Shelton also stated in her resignation letter that she was thankful for the relationships she made while serving as SRBA's executive director.
"Regretfully, I understand that my resignation as executive director will, in effect, disrupt and delay the projects, partnerships and progress that this organization has made in the in the previous 12 months and currently has underway," she wrote. "I am sincerely thankful for the relationships I have afforded-both with our East Texas stakeholders in the basin and with colleagues throughout the region and within the state and federal water industry. I am saddened to leave SRBA unfinished."