Recall petitions denied in Houston

MAT-SU — Two Houston City Council members have survived a recall attempt from the daughter of one of the city’s former mayors.

Tammy Bennett, daughter of former longtime mayor Dale Adams, filed a request for four recall petitions in February — two each against Councilman Roger Purcell and Councilwoman Sandy McDonald, who is now the city’s mayor.

“It’s no surprise,” Purcell said Friday about the denial of the petitions. “They tried to put stuff in there that just wasn’t factual.”

Bennett could not be reached for comment by press time.

The petitions allege McDonald allowed unauthorized persons to access city personnel records, that Purcell accessed personnel records without authorization and that the two of them held a meeting regarding a “controversial park” without sufficient public notice.

In a letter dated March 18, acting City Clerk Deborah Fites notified Bennett the recall application was denied.

Attached was a memo from Houston City Attorney Michael Gatti, who outlined the city’s reasons for denial. About the personnel records, Gatti says the application contained too few particulars. State law doesn’t require the allegations be truthful, only that they be specific enough to allow the target of a recall a chance to respond.

“The allegations raised do not state which records, computers or personal records were improperly accessed or the specific information accessed,” Gatti says in the memo.

As to the alleged failure to provide public notice regarding the park, “it is unclear when such failure occurred, why a public hearing was required and the name of the park at issue,” Gatti’s memo says.

Purcell said that, while not surprised the petitions were denied, he is glad the city can put the issue behind it.

“We now have the ability to move forward and move forward as a team and stop this old-style bickering,” Purcell said.

At the time of the request for a recall petition, McDonald was the city’s deputy mayor. Houston’s previous mayor, Steve Frost, resigned citing council bickering and family problems just weeks before the petitions were filed.

As mayor, Frost also held a seat on the city council.

Bennett was initially one of three applicants who threw their names into consideration to fill Frost’s seat. After splitting the council’s vote with Ralph Buzard March 10, she withdrew her name prior to a revote March 17, when the council chose Paul Stout to fill the seat.

Purcell and Councilman Glenn Tilghman are vying for the position of deputy mayor.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.