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Motion to hold charter forfeiture hearing on mayor fails after heated exchange
Summary
A council motion to initiate a charter forfeiture hearing to consider alleged mayor misconduct was debated and defeated 5-2 after an extended discussion and a lengthy list of alleged charter violations was read into the record.
CIBOLO, Texas — Council debate over whether to initiate a charter-based forfeiture hearing involving the mayor ended with a 5-2 defeat of the motion at the April 22 meeting.
Councilwoman Katie Cunningham introduced allegations and read a multi-point statement that the city charter was being ignored in several instances, citing specific meetings and actions she said raised “serious concerns” about whether the mayor acted outside the charter’s limits. The statement named meetings and alleged improper votes, delegation of duties, misrepresentation of information and possible violations of Texas open-meetings rules. Cunningham concluded by moving to initiate a forfeiture hearing to examine potential charter violations by Mayor Mark Allen.
Councilman Joel Hicks seconded the motion; the council then recessed to executive session for legal consultation. After returning, the council voted on the motion to initiate the hearing; the motion failed 5 to 2. The meeting record shows the vote count but no subsequent hearing was scheduled.
During debate, the council’s legal advisor cautioned that discussion did not itself constitute the formal hearing and advised on the procedural limits of the item. Supporters of the mayor countered that council should follow process and warned against public airing of allegations outside a formal hearing record. The motion’s defeat means no council-initiated forfeiture hearing will proceed on the basis of that motion.
