Scathing Report Issued On Small North Texas City's Government
FERRIS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Ferris, Texas may be small, but it is big on drama.
"'Sex in the City' is what I call it," said Tina Miller.
She owns a shop catty-corner to city hall, a place she'd rather avoid.
"Would you feel comfortable in that environment?" she asked.
A newly released investigation found city manager Bill Jordan, while on a business trip to Las Vegas, texted an employee pictures of cards advertising local prostitutes.
He also admitted to talking about an employee's breasts and joking with another employee about hers.
The report accuses him of "bad judgment," blames him for contributing to a "dysfunctional office environment" and claims he's "compromised his ability to lead and discipline his staff."
Last month, though, after receiving a preliminary copy of the investigative report, city council voted to renew his contract.
The investigation also found two council members may have violated the Texas Open Meetings Act, when they individually ordered the police chief to begin investigating the city manager.
"One city council member cannot, without formal council authorization, legally act on behalf of the governing body," the report reads.
City council ultimately voted to hire independent investigators with the Bowman Group to avoid bias.
The investigation was initially prompted by complaints from a single employee, who did not appear to be the target of any of the alleged harassment.
The city manager declined an on-camera interview, but told CBS11 he believed the complaints against him were retribution for concerns he'd recently voiced about the police department.
He said, he tried to make city hall a relaxed, enjoyable workplace, but that it may have gone too far.
