MAUD, Texas-Jessie Hicks is no longer the city's mayor.
During a special Maud City Council meeting Monday, council members declared the mayor's position vacant since Hicks remained absent from three consecutive regular monthly council meetings. The missed council meetings include the July 18, Aug. 15 and Sept. 19 meetings.
Maud Mayor Pro-Tem Jimmy Clary confirmed the council's decision Tuesday evening.
According to Maud City Ordinance No. 16-0927, the city mayor position will be declared vacant if the mayor misses three consecutive regular monthly meetings without being sick or without obtaining an excused for his or her absence to each meeting.
Clary said that on July 18, Hicks called about an hour before the meeting, stating he had to be in Clarksville to tend to his father's illness. As for the Aug. 15 meeting, Clary said that Hicks called about 4:30 p.m. that day to say he was stuck in traffic as he and his family were leaving Missouri and felt like they could not get back in time. As for the Sept. 19 meeting, Clary said Hicks didn't call at all.
A message was left on Hicks' cellphone as of presstime Tuesday evening.
"My interpretation of the ordinance is that (even with his needing to be in Clarksville on July 18), it would still call for his position to be declared vacant," Clary said. "It's my opinion that he just should have resigned instead of not shown up at the last meeting. He even missed a city workshop meeting."
Clary added that he is willing to preside over council meetings in his position as mayor pro-tem until the city holds its next municipal election in May 2017.