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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline APRIL 24, 2026 | The Indian Eye 26

Indian American Public Affairs Council

Hosts “Conversations Over Coffee” with Bellaire

City Council Position 4 Candidates

OUR BUREAU
Bellaire, TX
he Indian American Public Af-
fairs Council (IAPAC) success-
Tfully hosted a Conversations
Over Coffee candidate forum, bringing
together residents and candidates for
Bellaire City Council Position 4 ahead
of the upcoming May special election.
The event provided a thought-
ful and engaging platform for civic
dialogue in Bellaire, widely known
as the “City of Homes” for its strong
neighborhoods, excellent schools, and
close-knit community.
Participating candidates Todd
Thurber, Kevin Newman, and Gay
Mayeux, each brought distinct pro-
fessional perspectives shaped by their
backgrounds in engineering, business
operations, and financial leadership.
Candidate Shuba Grewal, an advocate
for responsible growth, transparency, Bellaire City Council Candidates Todd Thurber, Gay Mayeux, Kevin Newman with community members at IAPAC’s Conversations Over Coffee forum
and community engagement was un-
able to attend due to being out of town. she said.
Todd Thurber, a civil engineer, “One of IAPAC’s core missions
emphasized proactive, long-term in- is to strengthen civic awareness and
frastructure planning and resilience. engagement within our community,”
He underscored the importance of said Dr. Roopa Gir, who provided
structured capital improvement pro- opening remarks for the event.
grams and regional coordination to The discussion was moderated
address aging systems and flooding by Ruchi Gupta, Board Member of
challenges. “We need to stop reacting IAPAC, who emphasized constructive
to problems and start planning ahead dialogue, stating, “Our goal is to cre-
with a long-term infrastructure strate- ate a respectful space where partici-
gy,” he said. pants can listen, learn, and engage in a
Kevin Newman, a business lead- meaningful exchange of ideas.”
er and entrepreneur, focused on Across the discussion, several Bellaire City Council Candidates running for Position 4 Gay Mayeux, Todd Thurber, and Kevin
accountability, efficiency, and prac- shared priorities emerged. Candidates
tical governance. He advocated for agreed on the need for long-term Newman at IAPAC’s Conversations Over Coffee forum
a results-driven approach to city planning, infrastructure investment,
management. “We need to take a and maintaining Bellaire’s high qual- prevent overdevelopment and safe- ber of IAPAC.
common-sense business approach to ity of life. guarding neighborhoods. IAPAC expressed appreciation to
running the city. That means improv- Flood mitigation was identified Public safety, infrastructure mod- the candidates, attendees, and volun-
ing efficiency, eliminating waste, and as one of the city’s most pressing ernization, and fiscal responsibility were teers for contributing to a meaningful
ensuring taxpayer dollars are used re- challenges. Candidates discussed ex- also central themes. Candidates high- dialogue that supports informed deci-
sponsibly,” he stated. panding drainage capacity, strength- lighted the importance of upgrading ag- sion-making.
Gay Mayeux, a former CFO and ening regional partnerships, and ing systems, improving police visibility The Indian American Public
CPA, highlighted the importance of implementing infrastructure improve- and technology, and maintaining trans- Affairs Council (IAPAC) is a non-
fiscal discipline and strategic execu- ments to better manage flood risks in parency in budgeting and spending. partisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit orga-
tion. She emphasized aligning priori- this low-lying area. The forum included an engaging nization dedicated to promoting
ties with responsible budgeting to sup- The forum also addressed the bal- question-and-answer session directly civic engagement, leadership, and
port long-term sustainability. “Money ance between economic development from the residents, reflecting strong public service. Through initiatives
matters. We must align strategy, bud- and preserving Bellaire’s residential community interest in local gover- such as Conversations Over Coffee,
geting, and execution to ensure we in- character. Candidates emphasized at- nance and civic participation. The IAPAC connects community mem-
vest in priorities, while being respon- tracting high-quality businesses while event concluded with a vote of thanks bers with public leaders to encour-
sible stewards of taxpayer resources,” maintaining zoning protections to by Nellie Naidoo, a community mem- age informed civic participation.

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