NEWS
Mayor’s shuffle: Burris named to fill unexpired term
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Gaylynn Burris, defeated in last November’s mayoral election by 81 votes, took the oath of office Monday night to fill out the unexpired term of Mayor Bill Miller who resigned on April 30.
Burris was selected by the Bowie City Council after she was the lone person to apply during the week-long period to fill the post. The council scheduled a called meeting for Monday night to interview candidates and select a new mayor.
The city council has been in upheaval since Miller resigned on April 30 less than six months into office. His resignation was accepted at the May 11 meeting and the council set up the process to fill the post.
As per the city charter, the council had to fill the vacancy within 30 days or schedule a special election. If an appointment was not made an election was automatic.
Mayor Pro Tem Jason Love told the council at the May 11 meeting he felt “more suited” to serve as a councilman and was not interested in taking the mayor’s term.
Late Friday as the called meeting was being posted, Councilor Thomas Kent submitted his resignation in protest of Burris being considered. He stated in his resignation that Burris had been voted out so she should not be eligible for reappointment to the same office.
Kent, elected to his precinct position in November 2018, said his resignation created a “double vacancy” within the council and therefore a special election was necessary.
The city charter does state when there is more than one vacancy at any one time a special election shall be called within 30 days. However, city officials obtained multiple legal opinions about this question to assure appropriate action was taken.
Che Rotramble, city attorney, said when an officer submits a resignation, immediate or future, the vacancy occurs on the date the resignation is accepted by the council or on the eighth day after the date of its receipt by the appropriate authority, whichever occurs earlier. The Texas Election Code, Sec. 201.023 states the same.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
Bowie emergency personnel have been working this one-vehicle semi-truck rollover on State Highway 59 in front of the precinct two barn. No details were available at this time. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The Bowie City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on April 22 in the council chambers.
City Manager Bert Cunningham in his report will discuss the comprehensive planning grant and the substation transformer.
In old business there will be second readings for the water rate ordinance tabled from the last meeting, plus the new ordinances related to the operation of food trucks in the city.
In new business the council will discuss section 3 policy updates for the community development grant for Smythe Street sidewalks and hear a request from public works to use $9,763 out of the tap account to purchase 64 meters.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The City of Bowie received an unqualified audit for 2023-24 presented by its outside auditor during its April 8 meeting.
Valerie Halverson of the Mathis, West, Huffines Group, Wichita Falls, reviewed the extensive report on the city’s funds.
She noted it was a busy year dealing with several major capital projects along with tracking grant funds, but the city met all the general accounting standards.
Read the full story on the outside audit in the Thursday Bowie News.
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