LEAGUE CITY — Two of the three candidates for interim city administrator in League City found themselves embroiled in controversy in their previous jobs as chief executives.
Gordon C. Pierce and John L. Pape were investigated by city and state officials in their former roles as city administrators. They, along with S. Marcus Jahns, are finalists for the position of interim city manager for League City.
City council members are expected to choose an interim administrator Monday to replace Chris Reed, who resigned earlier this month.
In response to questions about the candidates’ backgrounds, Councilman Neil Baron, a member of the hiring committee, said: “We’ll be conducting our background investigation, and we’ll be discussing our selection with the whole council in executive session.”
DWI Charge Dropped
According to media reports, Pierce, who was city manager of Terrell for 10 years, retired in 2007 amid mounting pressure surrounding his 2006 arrest for driving while intoxicated. He was in a city vehicle.
A judge ruled that the Department of Public Safety trooper stopped Pierce without sufficient probable cause. The judge quashed the evidence against Pierce and he was never charged. But WFAA-TV in Dallas aired video in March 2007 of the arrest in which Pierce tells troopers that he is the city manager of Terrell and pleads with them to cut him some slack because “you guys are going to ruin my career.”
Pierce was interim city manager of Marlin until May. Marlin officials knew of his arrest.
Marlin Mayor Normal Erskin told KCEN-TV in January 2008 that the arrest would not affect Pierce’s ability to do his job for the city.
Pierce said his arrest and the subsequent furor was political assassination by a disgruntled former employee and pointed out that he was never charged with driving while intoxicated.
“It didn’t affect my job in Terrell; it didn’t affect my job in Marlin,” Pierce said. “And it certainly wouldn’t affect my job in League City, if I was hired.”
Reimbursements Questioned
Pape, who was administrator of Angel Fire, N.M., until June 2006, used tax dollars to pay for liquor, lavish meals and other expenses, prompting the state to audit the tiny ski town, according to reports in The Albuquerque Journal and the Sangre de Cristo Chronicle, a community paper.
In November 2005, Pape authorized the city to pay a $442 tab for alcohol for 221 drinks at a city-sponsored patio party, according to The Journal, prompting the state’s Department of Finance and Administration to call the expenditure “inappropriate.”
Between 2004 and 2006, Pape and other village officials submitted travel reimbursements for expensive meals and booze, The Journal reported in February 2008. Pape was responsible for $12,332 of the reimbursements because he often picked up the tab for other officials, the newspaper reported.
The expenditures prompted a state audit, and the village council asked that he reimburse the city $16,000, Angel Fire Mayor Larry Leahy said. To date, Pape has not repaid the city, Leahy said.
Pape, who left the village before the state audit, said Angel Fire officials never asked him to reimburse the city. He also said his expenses were not improper and all of his reimbursements were authorized by the city’s finance director and city attorney.
“The city did not have a city credit card, and it was practice, as directed by the finance director at the time, that such things be put on individual credit cards,” he said. “These were not personal expenses. It was for city use.”
Pape now works for fortbendnow.com, an online news network.
Candidates Recommended
The third candidate, Jahns, is a former executive director of planning and resource management for Bexar County. He now runs a government consulting firm that provides consultation about economic development, financial planning and budgeting. Jahns said he’s never been arrested or charged with any crimes.
“I have no criminal record whatsoever,” he said.
The candidates were recommended to the city by Texas First Group Replacement Services, an organization that provides temporary services of city administrators. The organization is not affiliated with Texas First Bank.
Donald B. Davis, cofounder of the organization, said Texas First Group Replacement Services recommends candidates based on their experience, qualifications, personality and geographic proximity to the job.
“Most of these folks we’ve known through our careers,” he said.
The organization was not troubled by Pierce’s record, which was expunged when the judge tossed out the DWI arrest evidence, Davis said.
Davis was not aware of Pape’s past but said the former mayor of Angel Fire gave Pape a glowing review.
Making A Choice
A League City hiring committee consisting of human resources employees, three city council members and the mayor interviewed the three candidates Friday. The city council will meet behind closed doors Monday before convening into open session to pick an interim city administrator.
The interim city administrator will serve in that position until the city can hire a permanent replacement for Reed. His last day is Tuesday. Until a permanent city administrator is hired, League City will pay Texas First Group Replacement Services a fee based on the city’s budget for the position, Davis said. Using city revenue, the organization pays the interim city administrator’s salary.
The city has issued a request for proposals for executive search firms to conduct a nationwide search for a new city administrator.
The council is expected to select a search firm at its July 14 meeting.
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At A Glance
WHAT: City council
WHEN: 6 p.m. Monday
WHERE: Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center, 400 W. Walker St.
