Questions linger after Houston Mayor, Deputy Mayor sudden resignations

The sudden resignations of the City of Houston Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Treasurer have raised questions about why they suddenly resigned so abruptly without waiting to swear in the newly elected Council members on Monday.

“If they were truly stewards of the public trust they would approve of the public’s will,” said resident David Duren.

This not the first time Houston has seen controversy within the Mayoral office. In 2010, former Mayor Roger Purcell faced a recall after allegations of violating city code related to travel arrangements without city council approval, participating in executive sessions without stating the specific topic to be discussed, and using unauthorized blue flashing lights while making a traffic stop.

A recall petition was filed, but a month before Houston voters could decide, Purcell resigned.

At the time, Thompson who was serving on the city council, was quoted at the time “that given the makeup of the city council, which generally has four Purcell supporters and two detractors, the odds are “pretty high” Houston may have another controversial mayor.”

She was later selected to be the new mayor.

Early on in her role as Mayor, Thompson herself faced a recall after allegations we made that the city had paid her for work hours during a period when she was out of state and thus not able to do her job as mayor. She ultimately retained her seat as the recall lost in a nearly 2 to 1 count.

During her tenure as Mayor, Thompson oversaw the ushering in of marijuana commerce, making Houston the first city in the Borough to legally allow grow and sell marijuana. At the time, it was projected that the excise tax on marijuana could generate $166,400 per year for the budget, which would have injected much-needed revenue into the financially-struggling city.

She also led the city through the 2018 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, she helped residents near the Little Su River by declaring the affected areas a disaster area, clearing the way for state and FEMA assistance. She also hosted Governor Mike Dunleavy when he toured the areas damaged by the floods.

But she also received on-line criticism for her lack of explanations regarding decision making, and her “snarky” responses when residents made complaints about road conditions and plowing, budgets, and other items during council meetings and in social media. Most recently, people have been critical her overseeing the CARES Act money to expand city hall.

Perhaps her decision to resign as mayor and city council were foreshadowed in her September Mayor’s report to the council, in which Thompson wrote, “I have nothing to report. Good luck!”

In a March interview, Thompson had said that one of her goals at her first election to Mayor was to overcome the reputation of the city, and feeling that Houston wasn’t taken seriously in Juneau.

Since tendering her resignation, residents in Houston have lit up social media with calls for audits and accountability investigations, with many wondering, especially in light of the Deputy Mayor and City Treasurer also resigning.

“Let’s demand some full audits of the time they spent in office!” said Duren, who clarified that the desire for a full audit was not necessarily for looking for corruption, but in his opinion, he wanted to look for “ineptitude in budgeting.”

The last audit for the city was for the FY 21 and was presented to the council during the February city council meeting.

Wilson had served for on the council for 14 years, many of those as the Deputy Mayor, and was often nominated to be the Mayor, a position he declined again and again.

After retiring from the U.S. Army, he came to Houston, and ran for council the first time in 2008. At the time, Wilson had said, “I’m not just going to sit back and not do anything.”

In his most recent reelection bid, Wilson was asked why residents should vote for him, and his reply was:

“I want to make our city a better place to live. I will work to maintain our credibility, ensure public safety needs are met, particularly fire service and protection ratings, promote economic development and not ask you for a property tax increase…Why vote for me? Competence. I know what I’m doing.”

Known for his preparedness and attention to detail, he often asked the hard questions and sought to bring a collegial atmosphere to the council. In his resignation letter, he gave no reason for his abrupt resignation.

Meanwhile, Councilman-elect David Childs, whose election is set to be certified on a special meeting Monday, said, “The recent sudden resignations of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and treasurer are very unfortunate events. I am perplexed to say the least. The timing of their resignations not only leaves the city in an extremely difficult position, but also leaves many of us wondering why they would do this all in unison, and is there something they have to hide? It begs the question about motive on their part.”

Childs was a new candidate elected into office during the October 4 city elections into an open seat, while McDonald defeated incumbent Paul Stout. She had previously served as a council member and Mayor until 2008, when she chose not to seek reelection. Mike Adams, who was serving a 1-year term after being elected in October 2022, was re-elected in October.

A special city council meeting was already on the calendar for October 10, in which the new council members are to be sworn into office. A new mayor and deputy mayor are also to be elected by the city council. Houston is a second-class city which means that the city council elects the mayor and deputy mayor for a 1- year term from the councilmembers themselves.

“This seems nothing more to me than a deliberate act in order to disrupt the business of the City of Houston including the swearing in of new members. In my opinion, this is a retaliatory move which has no merit as I only know the Mayor and Deputy Mayor through having attended regular City Council meetings, and I don’t believe that I have ever met the treasurer. This definitely points the spotlight on their actions, but now we have to point it back to the City and get back to business,” said Childs.

None of the former elected officials returns calls to comment.

The City Council is scheduled to hold a special meeting Monday, October 10 at 6 p.m. at Houston City Hall.