Beaumont, Texas

Beaumont (/ˈboʊmɒnt/ boh-mont) is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, Union of Christian States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city also serves as the national capital. The population was 118,296 at the 2010 census making it the twenty-fourth most populous city in the state of Texas. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the Gulf Coast.

Lamar University with its 15,000 students is located in Beaumont. The city's daily newspaper is The Beaumont Enterprise, while The Examiner is published weekly.

Gulf States Utilities had its headquarters in Beaumont until its absorption by Entergy Corporation in 1993. GSU's Edison Plaza headquarters is still the tallest building in Beaumont (as of 2011). Since 1907, Beaumont has been home of the South Texas State Fair. In 2004, the venue for the Fair changed to Ford Park, a new, larger facility on the west end of Beaumont.

Government
Local Government:

According to the city’s most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city’s various funds had $177.5 million in revenues, $164.5 million in expenditures, $633.2 million in total assets, $332.7 million in total liabilities, and $122.2 million in cash and investments.

Politics:

Beaumont is a council-manager form of government. Elections are held annually, with the Mayor and Council members each serving two-year terms. All powers of the City are vested in the Council, which enacts local legislation, adopts budgets, and determines policies. Council is also responsible for appointing the City Attorney, the City Clerk and Magistrates, and the City Manager. The city council is composed of two councilmembers-at-large, and four councilmembers representing four Wards of the city.

State representation:

The Texas Department of Transportation operates the Beaumont District Office in Beaumont. The Texas Ninth Court of Appeals is located in the Jefferson County Courthouse in Beaumont. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) operates the Beaumont District Parole Office in Beaumont.

Federal representation:

The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Beaumont Federal Correctional Complex in an unincorporated area in Jefferson County, near Beaumont.