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Rowlett firefighters accuse interim manager of coercion; council orders reviews and consultant study
Summary
Firefighters and residents accused Rowlett’s interim city manager of coercing union leaders and sidelining the department’s interim chief. After an executive session, the council said it issued corrective action, will conduct frequent performance reviews, hire an independent management reviewer and start a city manager search.
Firefighters and a string of residents on May 14 told the Rowlett City Council that recent personnel choices and behavior by the interim city manager have damaged morale and sidelined fire department preferences for leadership.
"We will not be silenced," said Josh Brock, representing Rowlett Firefighters Association Local 3358, saying he spoke for 105 members who oppose recent management actions. Brock accused city management of excluding the union from the chief-selection process and of attempting to coerce captains into disclosing confidential association information.
Michael Glenn, vice president of the IAFF's 11th District, told the council the charter and state law place hiring authority with elected officials, not the city manager, and alleged the interim manager "tried to coerce" captains and had threatened violations of the charter for speaking with council members.
The council recessed into executive session to discuss personnel and legal matters and returned after approximately three hours with a joint statement read by the presiding official. "Following our discussion tonight, the city council has provided corrective action to the city manager," the statement said, adding the council will institute frequent reviews of performance, activities and communication until a permanent city manager is hired.
The statement also said the city will "work with an independent consultant to perform a management review of the department" to identify desired characteristics for a future fire chief and to refine recruitment, and that the consultant will interview personnel across ranks. The council said it expects to discuss search firms for a permanent city manager during a May 18 work session.
Speakers at the meeting urged several remedies: restarting or extending the fire chief recruitment process so firefighters can be heard, more transparent communications from city leadership, and increased council oversight of interim management decisions. Several residents—citing the fire department’s retention and experienced interim leadership—said stability and internal support in the fire department should carry weight in selecting a permanent chief.
The council’s statement did not specify disciplinary steps or a timetable for implementation beyond promising frequent reviews and an independent study. No public vote or formal motion on personnel discipline was recorded in open session.
The council said it will schedule a public forum after a community survey is completed to allow the manager’s office and department directors to answer questions and engage with residents. The May 18 work session on search firms is the next publicly announced step in replacing the interim city manager.
Council members and staff did not provide technical details of the consultant’s contract or a deadline for the review in the open session statement.
