North Richland Hills council reprimands Council Member Blake Vaughn, removes deputy mayor pro tem title

The North Richland Hills City Council on April 9 voted 6-1 to adopt a resolution publicly reprimanding Council Member Place 5 Blake Vaughn, removing him as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem and directing the city attorney to take legal-direction requests only from the mayor or the city manager.

City Attorney Bradley A. Anderle read the document into the record as the council convened in open session following an executive session; the resolution text says it is “publicly reprimanding Council Member Place 5 Blake Vaughn” and removes him “as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem effective immediately upon the adoption of this resolution.”

The resolution, titled in the reading as "Resolution number 20 20 five-twenty 1," says the council found Vaughn violated the council’s rules of procedure and house rules during a March 24 meeting, that the city manager “acted in accordance with the direction of the City Council,” and that no investigation of the city manager was ordered or is needed. It also instructs the city attorney not to respond to requests for legal services from an individual council member without direction from the council as a body.

Why it matters: The vote formalizes the council’s finding that one member’s public statements about personnel matters and council process exceeded the council’s rules and could…