NEW BOSTON, Texas -The New Boston City Council voted unanimously to compel its chief of police to file the paperwork necessary to reinstate a lieutenant's standing as a peace officer employed by the city with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Police Chief Tony King, who is on medical leave, fired Lt. Johnny Millwood early last month. At the council's regular meeting March 20, the council voted unanimously to reinstate Millwood and place him on administrative leave while a Texas Rangers investigation into the police department is conducted by the Texas Rangers.
At the beginning of the meeting, during a brief open forum address, Texarkana lawyer Butch Dunbar, who represents Millwood, complained that King has failed to file paperwork necessary with TCOLE to fully reinstate his client. After a brief discussion later in the meeting, the council voted that Millwood's status with TCOLE should be returned to that as a city police officer. City Attorney Mike Brock is tasked with informing King, or the officer acting as chief in his medical absence, of the necessity.
While some of the discussion concerning Millwood's status with TCOLE led to additional explanation from Dunbar that the current state of Millwood's certification is clouded by King's prior actions and that changes must be made by the chief or a designee to fully reinstate Millwood in the eyes of the state.
A discussion concerning the inspection of personnel files by members of the council included a verbal exchange between City Secretary Darla Faulknor and Councilman Joe Dike. Dike has complained that Faulknor, a city employee, is refusing to allow him to inspect King's personnel file.
In a previous interview, Dike said he has become concerned about King's suitability for office since his firing of Millwood and because of complaints from New Boston citizens. Dike requested copies of King's personnel files from the cities of Mount Pleasant, DeKalb and Wake Village without difficulty.
Since Dike has requested to view King's file, he said he has been met with resistance from Faulknor and has been accused of attempting to break into Faulknor's office.
"You did," Faulknor exclaimed when the subject arose at Tuesday's meeting.
Footage shot by a local KSLA cameraman shows Dike knocking on the door, stating that Faulknor isn't there, and rattling the door knob as he walks away.
City Attorney Mike Brock said an opinion issued by the Texas Attorney General clearly gives the members of a city's governing body the authority to inspect an employee's personnel file without restriction.
"Y'all are the bosses, the supervisors of the department heads and the department heads are over the employees," Brock said.
As Faulknor defended not immediately making King's file available to Dike, Faulknor asked Dike, "What are you looking for?"
Dike responded by telling Faulknor, "You can't ask me what I'm looking for."
As the exchange progressed, Faulknor shouted, "I don't care what you are Joe. I really don't."
Later Faulknor told Dike that some of the information in King's personnel file is kept at the police department. During a discussion concerning contracts for city employees, Mayor Johnny Branson and Faulknor stated that no employees, including Faulknor and King, have employment contracts.
Among the last items discussed at the meeting was an item to address who has authority to contractually bind the city. Branson said he has previously made decisions without council approval when a change order is needed in a city project or to hire a lawyer for city business. Brock said those decisions should be approved by the council, according to statute.
"Does the city council want to micro-manage the city," Councilman David Turner asked.
Dike responded by stating that he isn't interested in micro-management but does want to be in on the "decision loop."
The meeting adjourned a short time later with Branson inviting Dunbar and others to speak with him in the back of city hall where he has "always parked." At the beginning of the meeting, Dunbar invited Branson to come out the front door and visit with the citizens, "who are afraid of their police chief."
Others also spoke at the beginning of the meeting in open forum.
Faulknor's daughter, Jennifer Skinner, accused Dike of encouraging salacious social media posts on a Facebook page he hosts titled NB Buzz, complained that media coverage of conflicts stemming from King's conduct has been slanted and urged the council to "shut it down."
City employee Vicky May stated that she doesn't want council members looking in her personnel file at information such as her direct deposit account data, her phone number or address. Former New Boston resident Janet Clark said she moved away because of King's treatment of her after she was a victim of domestic violence.
"He said I deserved what I got," Clark said.
New Boston resident Charles Patton motioned alternately toward the standing-room-only audience and the council as he gave the last two-minute address during the meeting's open forum.
"What we have here is not good versus evil," Patton said. "It's actually good versus good and we have different opinions. Wouldn't the world be a bore if we all had the same opinion?"