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Leadership shakeup in the City of Uhland
A new mayor has taken over the reins in Uhland, a little more than a week after the previous mayor, Lacee Duke, stepped down.
UHLAND, Texas - A new mayor has taken over the reins in Uhland, a little more than a week after the previous mayor, Lacee Duke, stepped down.
The backstory:
On Monday, May 11, Guadalupe Garza was appointed as mayor by the City Council. She’s replacing former mayor, Lacee Duke, who was arrested in December for allegedly mishandling funds in connection to the Uhland Fall Fest.
While her case played out, Duke continued in her role as the city’s mayor, until her resignation on Monday, May 4.
In a letter addressed to city officials, Duke said the following:
"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I submit my resignation as Mayor of Uhland today, effectively immediately. The majority of Uhland's voters in this recent election have made their preference known, and I cannot, in good conscience, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with people who subvert law, order and justice. My allegiance will always be to truth and honor above status and politics. City of Uhland-while I may no longer be your Mayor, I steadfastly remain your good neighbor and earnest ally."
Her announcement comes in the wake of the May 2 local elections. A trio of candidates, who in their campaigns labeled themselves as the "Good Guys," won three seats on the Uhland City Council. That included Guadalupe Garza, Seraiah Pineda, and Mark Garonzik, who was quick to criticize the former city officials for their sudden resignations.
"To me, this speaks volumes. It shows the character of the leadership that's leaving this city in a complicated transition instead of putting Uland first," Garonzik said in a Facebook post.
Duke’s resignation comes alongside the mayor pro tem and the city attorney also stepping down earlier this month.
In a resignation letter on May 1, the city’s former legal representation, Sheets, Childs & Sandre, PLLC, said the following.
"While we have been able to fulfill this role successfully in many other communities, we have found it more challenging to achieve those same objectives here. Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to assist the Council in resolving differences, reducing tensions and personal attacks during meetings, or establishing a more predictable framework for addressing City matters. In fact, the legal guidance provided by our Firm has, at times, been disputed or disregarded, limiting our ability to assist the Council in reaching resolution on key issues."
Mayor Pro Tem Chris Warndahl also resigned on May 4, saying he didn’t feel like he could be any further help to the city.
On Monday, the city held a special meeting where vacancies were filled in accordance to state law. Newly elected Mark Garonzik and Seraiah Pineda were sworn into their city council positions.
Matthew Esposito was appointed to Place 5, and Guadalupe Garza was appointed to fill the vacant mayoral seat left behind Duke.
Garza released a statement on Tuesday, where she said in part:
"Our city teetered on the brink of becoming insolvent. At times, it felt like the Titanic, and even my faith in humanity wavered. However, when we seek wisdom greater than ourselves, look beyond obstacles and personal attacks, and remain focused on the goal, there is nothing im-possible."
That full statement can be read here.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Marco Bitonel