It was so much more

Ever since the City Council meeting on Tuesday night I've heard a lot of conversations about the firing of Mr. Huseman.  The misconceptions, the rumors, the ....the lack of facts.

So here are a few.

Again today I confirmed with several of the city council members that there is no agenda for Steve Hendershot in any way shape or form to be appointed interim or permanent city manger.  I don't know where those rumors started, and anything I say would in itself be a rumor.  So take that for face value, Mr. Hendershot is NOT, repeat NOT going to be our city manager.

The lack of communication mentioned by both Mr. Hernandez and Mr. Schurig is not something that happened last week, but something that has continued over the course of a year.   The City of Gonzales - Code of Ordinances list the following:


Section 4.01.A - "The city council shall appoint a city manager who shall be the chief administrative and executive officer of the city and shall be responsible to the city council for the administration of all the affairs of the city."


Section 4.01.C.4, under City Manager - Duties list "Keep the city council advised of the financial condition and future needs of the city and make such recommendations as may seem desirable." and

Section 4.01.C.5 reads "Perform such duties as may be prescribed by this charter or may be required of him/her by the city council, not inconsistent with this charter."

I have heard about Mr. Huseman being at plenty of meetings throughout the city last night.  Problem is that Mr. Huseman wasn't tasked by the city council to do many of those thing.  Some of them come in the nature of the job, I understand, but Mr. Huseman has been given direction as to the way the council wanted to operate in matters at JB Wells, in matters concerning roads and infrastructure in Gonzales, to make getting grants a top priority, to explain to them why the documentation he gives them for financial monthly, which have changed since he had taken over, can't be made heads or tales of, and why the numbers don't jive when you try to add them all up.

A month after being told we are not going to expand JB Wells, he signed a contract that obligated the city to pay money to, to provide labor for, and provide logo and date on many of the supplies all as part of the contract, as well as trailer slots and hotel rooms.

With that Mr. Huseman went to the individual members of GEDC asking them to go get a USDA loan that the city would pay back at a higher rate then GEDC borrowed it at.  Apparently the pulse wasn't strong enough for him to pursue it at a meeting, but he was looking to build 300 more slots, and needed to get it done in a hurry for the March rodeo.  Don't believe me? Ask any of the GEDC board members. 

Now he didn't ask the council if he could go borrow that money.  It wasn't budgeted.  It was specifically not approved, and yet he was moving forward with his agenda, not that of the council.  So how is he being following the guidance of the council?  How is he keeping the council advised of the financial future needs when the council didn't find out about it until 4 months later when the newspapers broke the news.

And don't tell me that the slots weren't promised, the promoter called city hall today asking if the 61 new slots were ready.  There was no mention of primitive camping to the promoter.  Give me a break, these are rodeo'ers with their trailers.

The council members never could get any answer other than "oh it's all taken care of" when the pictures of the dumping in the Guadalupe river was exposed.

The council was mislead on the St. George project. Not one of the council members I've spoken to had ever heard of breaking up the rebuilding of the street and sewage in 3 parts as Mr. Huseman did.  So they were shocked when he came back for more money.  They have asked him several times when is this project going to be done (they've asked at city council meetings), and it's always, it's almost done. It's time to be finished with.

GBRA came to the council 2 months ago and told the council that after 2 years of frustration they needed to be aware that projects were in jeopardy because of lack of response by Mr. Huseman to projects that the council had approved 3 years ago.  That they could not get Mr. Huseman to respond to their continued request for action.

On 2 occasions Mr. Huseman created boards (the Texas Center and JB Wells) in direct violation of the city charter.  Section 3.07.F of the Code of Ordinance gives all board creating and appointments to the city council themselves, and does not delegate those duties in any way shape or form to the city manager.

When they went to the retreat in October this topic was a major point of discussion.  They needed more information, they needed to know things that were effecting the city management and finances, they needed more timely information.  One out of three was accomplished.  The council now receives weekly updates instead of monthly.  Admittedly this was a positive.

Several of the members have asked about specific roads or issues, and get the run around time and time again.  One the council members has told me that he'll bamboozled you so bad you just don't know what to believe. 

These are just a few of the things I am aware of, and I'm not even on the council.  I have spoken with several of the council, and heard their frustrations to not be able to get things accomplished for this city.  To not be able to get accountability for the funds that were being spent. To not be able to get a handle on the losses of JB Wells, because Mr. Huseman continued to run interference.  Every one of the council members that voted Aye last night are approachable, and will listen, even when they disagree with me, they will listen and discuss the issues with me.

I know that in the coming weeks there will be more exposed on the situation.  I believe that many will go "oh I can't believe that he was involved in that, he was so nice" and once again not want to listen to the facts.  But it will come out.

Last night I heard many points of 'he's a nice guy, and he talks to us' over and over again.  Never once did I hear "he's financially responsible", "he's fixed the problems with our infrastructure", "he's directing the police/fire department in a fantastic fashion".  I didn't see one city employee come forward and say how great he is to work for, though I have seen a huge turn over in employees during his tenure in Gonzales. This is not indicative of  great leadership.  People last night wanted to make this a personal issue, and it had nothing to do with his personal self, but his business and managerial abilities.  It can not be taken personally, it was not! It was business!

Look, Mr. Huseman did things no other city manager has done in a long time (or at least before my time here).  He got out from behind his desk and went to group meetings, many of them social meetings like the Rotary, and people got to like him as a person.  Why shouldn't they?  He would listen to anyone and nod politely.

But don't confuse liking a person from liking the job he did, and remember, ultimately his job was to work for the city council.  They were his boss, and NO BOSS likes the surprises and slaps in the face that the council received time and time again by his lack of communicating to them what was going on in the city. 

Filing fees are $0 to run for city council.  Applications should be available shortly.  Run if you think the council members aren't doing the job they should be.  I don't understand why we don't have 10 people running for each position every time under the current system. There are no party lines to declare.  There are no filing fees.  Sign a couple of papers and you're running for city council.  But be ready, because regardless of whos on the council, you are going to have to face some tough issues, it comes with the job.  And you are going to have those for something, and some against.  And when they get mad, you will hear about it.  So you might think about the job these council members are doing before you chastise them to bad.

These three men were elected by the people to do the best job for Gonzales they are capable of doing.  Sometimes that means they have to make tough decisions, and these men did it.  They didn't hide from their duties.  They didn't keep sweeping the problems under the rug, hoping it would go away.  They approached it and took care of it.  God bless them for their faithfulness!

God Bless,
Dennis Nesser

As a side note, you might read Dave Mundys column or Granby, Colo. or  Lawrenceburg, Tenn about Mr. Huseman have the same MO in other cities, it ultimately came down to he forgot who he worked for.