Balch Springs council appoints Wanda Adams to Civil Service Commission after heated public debate

The Balch Springs City Council voted 5-1 Jan. 27 to appoint Wanda Adams to the Civil Service Commission for a three-year term, following public comments both supporting and opposing her appointment.

The appointment passed after a motion by Council member Taslima Garcia and a second from Mayor Pro Tem Miles. Council member Gabriel cast the lone no vote; Council members Hill, Garcia, Whitley, Miles and Salau voted yes.

The vote capped more than an hour of public comment and council discussion. Angela Singletary, a resident who addressed the council during the public-comment period, cited Texas Local Government Code Section 143.006 and urged the council not to approve Adams’s appointment, saying, "I urge the city council to not approve miss Adams to the Veil Service Commission." Justin Roberts, another resident, questioned Adams’s impartiality for a post that oversees personnel hearings and promotional testing.

Wanda Adams spoke from the podium before the council vote. She described past service on local boards and said she was qualified to serve, adding, "I am thoroughly qualified." Several council members and other speakers urged the meeting to stay focused on the appointment rather than on social-media disputes.

Mayor Pro Tem Miles noted the broader consequences of online attacks on the city’s reputation and called for a forward-looking tone, saying, "Let's start a new page in this city. Let's move forward, and let's start building this city." Several council members echoed concern that online harassment discourages volunteerism.

Council member Gabriel said he would vote no. The motion to appoint Adams passed with five votes in favor and one opposed.

The commission to which Adams was appointed — identified in the meeting as the Civil Service Commission — hears personnel matters for the city’s public-safety departments and administers promotional testing. The council did not adopt any ordinance or change to qualifying statutes during the discussion.

The council took no separate legal findings on Adams’s background at the meeting; references to Texas Local Government Code Section 143.006 were raised by speakers and noted by the city attorney during the public discussion.

The appointment was placed on the agenda for action after being continued from an earlier meeting so the applicant could speak in person.

Quote-attribution note: direct quotations in this article are taken from the meeting transcript and attributed only to speakers shown in the council record.

Ending

Council members said they would continue encouraging residents to volunteer for city boards and to avoid personal attacks in public forums. The newly constituted Civil Service Commission will receive Adams as a member for a three-year term per the council vote.