La Marque council accepts city manager Joshua B. Pritchett’s resignation, authorizes review of hiring process

The La Marque City Council on July 7 accepted the immediate resignation of City Manager Joshua B. Pritchett following an executive session, and asked staff and counsel to pursue a review of the city’s hiring and human-resources procedures.

The action came after the council considered personnel matters in executive session under Section 551.127(b) of the Texas Government Code. The council moved to accept the resignation and then called for further investigation into the hiring process, company vetting and the city’s employee handbook and HR procedures.

“It's been received by the city,” City Attorney Gus Knaebel said when asked whether the resignation letter had been received and could be released. The council then voted to accept the resignation; the transcript records the vote as called and the motion approved but does not record an individual roll-call tally.

The council’s discussion noted that a separate complaint related to the city manager was withdrawn “in lieu of this resignation.” Council members said they expect follow-up at the next council meeting and proposed a separate executive session specifically on the city manager position.

Amy Miller was described during the meeting as having been “tapped as the deputy,” with council members saying she would serve in that capacity for at least one week while the council determines next steps.

Council Member [unnamed mover] moved to accept the resignation and a second was recorded; the transcript does not list mover or second by name in the public minutes. A council member said the statements in the resignation were “completely false” and indicated that an outside attorney would send correspondence to the former manager.

Council members requested that the council itself authorize a “very deep investigation” into the hiring process, including what the council called failures or weaknesses in vetting candidates and in the firms used for background verification. They also requested a review of the employee handbook and HR procedures and directed staff and legal counsel to present options for those reviews at a future meeting.

The council clerk noted that additional discussion of the city manager position would be placed in executive session at the next meeting. No new permanent appointment or formal interim city manager was recorded in the public portion of the meeting.

The council adjourned the session after additional agenda items and community remarks about a local Central Texas flood-relief supply drive.