Regarding vote for Dismissal of Former City Manager

First of all, I speak only for myself and not for any other member of the Duncanville City Council, nor for the Council collectively, nor on behalf of the city of Duncanville.

The political tug-of-wars that hinder our city and so many others often seem like they will never end. I maintain that it is not a hopeless situation, but it is a challenge that, at some point or another, we have to face head on if we are going to move forward.

Although I believe there are a small handful of individuals who are exploiting our city's current situation and inciting outrage against the Council out of spite as well as for political gain, I also believe there are those who sincerely want to know why the votes went the way they did. I heard that desire voiced during citizen comments at last night's meeting, and I have heard it in private conversations. There are many from my own District who, not having received any inflammatory emails or seen any social media posts, simply want to understand what happened. As an advocate for public transparency, I would be wondering why as well, and maybe drawing some of the same conclusions in the absence of information.

My growing concern is not for those who are deliberately inciting outrage, but for those who sincerely desire and deserve to know why. This is in addition to my concern for the unknown legal consequences of discussing documents marked 'confidential' as well as publicly disclosing any matters discussed in closed session. For those who sincerely desire truth and transparency, please know that I am exploring all legally prudent options to at least share publicly the reasons for my own vote and why I consented to the process.

I maintain my belief that my vote was cast in the best interests of my District as well as the entire city of Duncanville, that is, the PEOPLE who live here. But I also believe that if the people we represent are dissatisfied with the level of transparency or the process itself, then we have a responsibility as public servants to respond accordingly.

I also believe, given the public claims made against the city, that there needs to be a third-party investigation of those claims to show if they are valid or not.

Jeremy