The Whitesboro City Council appointed Phil Harris as Interim City Administrator at Tuesday night’s meeting. The great-great-great-grandson of Whitesboro’s founder Ambrose White, Harris is from Whitesboro, graduated from Whitesboro High School and his father was Mayor of Whitesboro for many years.
“We have a lot to learn from each other and benefit from each other. But I want Whitesboro to be a place where we can all be very proud and be grateful to be a part of it,” Harris said.
Because so much of his history is tied to Whitesboro, Harris said he only wants what’s best for the town.
“I know there’s a lot of concern and I’m hoping that people will give me just a short time since I’m interim, but trust that I’m working in the best interest of the community, and that’s really regardless of individual interest. It’s really about protecting Whitesboro,” Harris said.
This appointment comes a week after the council put City Administrator Julie Arrington on a 30-day administrative leave. When asked what happens at the end of the 30 days, Alderman Su Welch had said, “Basically, we are firing her.”
After being in executive session for nearly an hour Tuesday night, the City Council took action on another item. Former Alderman John Moore was appointed to the council as Alderman.
This comes after Mayor Dave Blaylock read a letter of resignation from Alderman Stacey Miles, in which she stated needing to focus more time on her family.
The council took a vote and accepted her resignation. Mayor Pro Tem Carla Woolsey made the motion to appoint Moore and Ronnie Fielder seconded. The motion carried. No action was taken on the discussion during executive session regarding the City Secretary’s employment.
Only two citizens addressed the council at the meeting, which didn’t surprise Whitesboro resident Keisha Head.
“Y’all made it perfectly clear in the last meeting you don’t care what we think,” Head said. She was referring to a dozen citizens who spoke in support of Arrington at the last council meeting, only to have council remove her from her position anyway.
Head said two petitions have been started, one for all City Council member resignations and the other for a forensic audit of the city’s finances. Head also said she has contacted the District Attorney and the Texas Rangers to discuss matters regarding “things that are not right with the city.”
“I think that you may listen to the things that are part of your agenda, but … you didn’t listen to any one citizen, worker, anyone that got up and spoke how we felt at the last meeting.
And you put someone on administrative leave that did nothing wrong, but ‘lack of confidence’ on a personal level, which doesn’t matter. You’re here to represent citizens, not yourself,” Head said.
Next, Arrington informed the council about a list of items that need to get taken care of in her 30-day absence.
