By BARBARA GREEN
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A routine Bowie City Council meeting turned explosive in its final minutes as a mayoral candidate accused several city officials of making “back-room” deals, which led to her removal from the council chambers by the police chief.
The controversy centered around the inclusion of a paid, part-time position for an emergency management director in the 2021-22 budget. The last paid position for director was around 2015 when Jim Spinks handled the duties also on a part-time basis.
During that time Former City Manager Ricky Tow let Spinks and others go as part of massive budget-cutting action.
The duties were passed on to the fire chief; however, during the ensuing years the Montague County Emergency Communications Team, formed in 2007, has worked on a voluntary basis to assist during times of natural disaster or weather emergencies. The team was created at the request of Bowie Emergency Management Coordinator Jim Spinks and County County EMC Kelly McNabb to coordinate Skywarn activities and assist with communications.
Kirk Higgins and his wife Diana, have both been active in the team as volunteers. They also have worked to establish a true emergency operations center in the back of the city offices at Mason and Pecan funded in part by E-recycling. That center got a real workout following the May 2020 tornado and this year’s February winter storm.
Budget
City Manager Bert Cunningham said the part-time pay for the EOC director is $17 an hour with a maximum of 24 hours a week plus benefits. The item is listed under the administration section of the proposed budget which got its first reading approval Monday.

Once more Glenda Durham addressed the council during public comments as she explained her activities to “deal with a rumor” she was called about on Monday.
“The rumor was Councilman Higgins has worked a deal with the city manager, but now we know it was the mayor, I was not aware of that. In the budget, we are going to hire someone for the emergency management center and that person is already hired, already there, already getting a paycheck and it is Mrs. Higgins’ husband,” she said.

This lead to accusations from Durham a “back-room ” deal had been worked between the city manager, mayor and councilor to get Higgins the paid job.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.