East Texas mayor resigns amid city department 'friction'

HAWKINS — Hawkins Mayor Mayor Susan Hubbard resigned Tuesday as the City Council heard a dispute involving the city secretary and Hubbard.

Hubbard, who was not at the meeting, cited health concerns as the reason for her resignation months before the May election. 

“She has been very ill for a long time and has breathing problems and is diagnosed with congestive heart failure and kidney failure and various other things,” said Place 1 Alderman Charles Richoz.

Hubbard, the city's first female mayor, was elected in May 2022. 

Mayor Pro Tem Clara Kay also resigned her post but will continue serving on the council. She had concerns with stress that came with the position, Richoz said.

Richoz was nominated and approved by the council as the new mayor pro tem.

“There is friction in the various departments between the departments,” he said. “I'm not 100% sure why… and I feel bad that there’s friction… it’s not what the city of Hawkins wants to be known for.”

Tuesday's meeting also called for an executive session regarding personnel matters, specifically about complaints involving City Secretary Mandy Thomas, who opted to have the normally closed executive session in public.

Richoz said the complaints against Thomas were written by Hubbard and involved releasing information exchanged in an email between Hubbard and Thomas and then releasing that information without a public information request.

Thomas also was also written up for refusing to sign an issued check to Hawkins police officer Adam Newell for missing wages while he was training for National Guard duty.

“The City Council for the city of Hawkins directed (Thomas) to write this check so that we didn't wind up in litigation,” Richoz said. “The law is very clear that we do have to pay National Guardsmen when they're on duty.”

According to Richoz, Newell had not been paid for National Guard duty for several years, prompting the officer to hire an attorney.

“(Newell) was in negotiations between the mayor and our city attorney for a settlement, and we had a settlement worked out,” Richoz said. “And it would cost the city of Hawkins $3,500 conservatively because it was the agreement at that time of 175 hours that we would pay him for his previous Guard duty.”

However, Newell decided he wanted to be paid for the entire time he did not receive payment from the city, which totaled 400 hours.

When Thomas was ordered to sign the $8,600 check to Newell, she requested documentation.

“They gave me a training schedule instead of his orders and stuff,” she said.

According to Richoz, the city secretary is not required to have such documentation, which Thomas said is not true.

“I'm a disabled veteran. I served our country. I went to Iraq and Afghanistan. I was on active duty and then I had to do a six-month contract,” Thomas said. “I went to the Reserves, which is kind of like the National Guard, and I had to provide my employer with my LES.”

A LES (Leave and Earnings Statement) shows a comprehensive statement of a military member's leave and earnings showing entitlements, deductions and allotments.

“It essentially shows how much you got paid while on deployment, as well as the dates you left and the dates you came back,” Thomas said. “And all that's required for my job.”

Hubbard and Kay ended up signing the check to Newell.

“I did what I believe was doing my job. It was illegal for me to sign a check that didn't have any correct documentation to it,” Thomas said. “I'm standing my ground.”

Additionally, Richoz said there was a recent clerical error on Newell’s paycheck in which he received two weeks of pay and vacation time as well. He didn’t report it, Thomas said. When asked to return the money, he told Thomas he already spent it, she said. 

The Hawkins council voted to table any disciplinary action against Thomas for discussion at the next meeting set Jan. 18.