Balcones Heights council votes to declare no confidence in mayor after heated hearing

The Balcones Heights City Council approved Resolution 2026-23R declaring no confidence in Mayor Johnny A. Rodriguez Jr. during a contentious special meeting July 27. Councilmember Jimmy Hernandez presented the resolution, citing a pattern of conduct toward staff and officials that he and others said undermined public trust. After extended public comment and a roll-call vote, the chair announced, “The motion carries.”

Hernandez framed the action as a response to an independent investigation: “The concerns described include intimidation, threats, inappropriate language, and conduct inconsistent with the dignity of public office,” he said. Supporters at the dais and in the audience said multiple staff complaints and recorded meetings justified formal censure; opponents said the council lacks authority to remove an elected mayor and argued the item was political. Mayor Rodriguez declined to resign, telling the council he would defend himself in court: “I will not resign from my position,” he said, adding that allegations were the subject of litigation and must be resolved in a judicial forum.

The vote followed more than an hour of testimony from residents and council members. The council’s action is a political statement, not a removal mechanism under Texas law; several speakers and the mayor noted that only voters or courts can remove an elected mayor. The council did not adopt any removal action; the resolution serves as an expression of the body’s loss of confidence and initiates procedural steps related to complaint handling under the city’s existing ordinance. The mayor said he will continue in office and that any substantive legal claims will be litigated in federal court.