gc
04 September 2003, 01:11 AM
Ouster at Dallas City Hall?
09:20 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 3, 2003
By GROMER JEFFERS JR. / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/090403dnmetbenavides.1ceee.html
Mayor Laura Miller concedes that hours after learning Terrell Bolton had been fired as Dallas police chief, she tried to rally support to get rid of another of her longtime targets, City Manager Ted Benavides, the man who fired Mr. Bolton.
"She talked to me the very same day Bolton got fired," council member Don Hill said. "She was ready to do it."
Mr. Bolton was fired Aug. 26. On Wednesday, after council members reviewed the city manager's performance in a four-hour closed session, Ms. Miller said she now is prepared to keep working with Mr. Benavides.
"Don and I have had a lot of personal conversations, and we've both been upset about different events that have happened," she said. "Today, we all walked out of that meeting and said, 'Ted, we're going to sit down during the next half of the review and figure out what our goals are for the next year.' "
Ms. Miller has said she was not behind Mr. Bolton's firing but supported it. Neither the mayor nor the City Council can fire the police chief or any other department head. It would take a supermajority of 11 out of 15 council members to fire the city manager.
Mr. Benavides said he was aware that Ms. Miller had been planting the seeds for his ouster. He has also talked to most of the minority council members and knows that they have some problems with him.
"We're trying to work through it," he said.
But Mr. Hill, the deputy mayor pro tem, said he was still upset with Mr. Benavides.
"It [the evaluation] was just a lot of talk," he said. "Nothing was resolved."
Earlier this year, Ms. Miller said she had enough support on the council to remove Mr. Benavides but decided against it because the city was entering a critical period that included the mayoral and council elections.
Led by the black and Hispanic delegations, Mr. Benavides received a vote of confidence from council members. Only Mitchell Rasansky said that he favored removing Mr. Benavides.
For years, black council members supported Mr. Benavides, but the firing of Mr. Bolton, the city's first black police chief, has created a split among the current four black council members.
Mr. Hill said he wouldn't mind seeing the city manager pay a political price for firing Mr. Bolton. Others don't want to retaliate because they don't want to help Ms. Miller.
"I can't tell you we've moved past it," Mr. Hill said. "Our community is demanding that something be done."
Council member Maxine Thornton-Reese said she is not yet calling for Mr. Benavides' resignation but has problems with him.
"I don't think we can just smile and say it's OK," Dr. Thornton-Reese said. "If my community says he should go, then I think he should go."
Council member James Fantroy said he couldn't stomach helping Ms. Miller remove Mr. Benavides.
"We're just going to work, let Ted know that this can't happen again and go ahead and run the city," he said.
Council member Leo Chaney Jr. said Mr. Benavides should not be sacked.
"We're not going to evaluate Benavides on one decision," he said. "We're going to look at the way he operates the entire city, even though the community is riled up. Terrell Bolton was our first African-American police chief, [so] that's to be expected."
Mr. Hill acknowledged that the votes are not there to remove Mr. Benavides, even inside the black delegation on the council.
"Fortunately for Ted, their venom is more focused on the mayor," he said. "They feel like he's part of the game and was the one that had to execute."
Mr. Fantroy said it was important to move forward.
"We're just going to work, let Ted know that this can't happen again and go ahead and run the city."
Other council members hope there won't be any backlash against Mr. Benavides.
"The manager did what he had to do," said Elba Garcia, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee. "He's in charge of hiring and firing."
Ms. Garcia said Ms. Miller did not approach her about firing Mr. Benavides.
"I hear the same things, but she hasn't called me. She knows I'm going to support the manager."
Ms. Miller said no council member asked for the city manager's resignation at the evaluation.
"We talked a lot about communication," she said. "We just need to be sure that the manager always communicates with us."
Ms. Miller declined to grade Mr. Benavides' performance.
Council member Ed Oakley said the evaluation was productive.
"It went fine. It was very constructive, and it opened up a lot of dialogue," he said.
Mr. Oakley said reviews were mixed on the Bolton firing.
"Some people wanted to know more. ... I believe Ted handled it in the appropriate manner," he said.
Though no one called for Mr. Benavides' firing in the meeting, the city manager said he was prepared for the worst.
"I talked to my mom. She said I could come home and there are plenty of fences to clean at the ranch," he said. "I've got at least one job."
Staff writer Colleen McCain Nelson contributed to this report.
09:20 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 3, 2003
By GROMER JEFFERS JR. / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/090403dnmetbenavides.1ceee.html
Mayor Laura Miller concedes that hours after learning Terrell Bolton had been fired as Dallas police chief, she tried to rally support to get rid of another of her longtime targets, City Manager Ted Benavides, the man who fired Mr. Bolton.
"She talked to me the very same day Bolton got fired," council member Don Hill said. "She was ready to do it."
Mr. Bolton was fired Aug. 26. On Wednesday, after council members reviewed the city manager's performance in a four-hour closed session, Ms. Miller said she now is prepared to keep working with Mr. Benavides.
"Don and I have had a lot of personal conversations, and we've both been upset about different events that have happened," she said. "Today, we all walked out of that meeting and said, 'Ted, we're going to sit down during the next half of the review and figure out what our goals are for the next year.' "
Ms. Miller has said she was not behind Mr. Bolton's firing but supported it. Neither the mayor nor the City Council can fire the police chief or any other department head. It would take a supermajority of 11 out of 15 council members to fire the city manager.
Mr. Benavides said he was aware that Ms. Miller had been planting the seeds for his ouster. He has also talked to most of the minority council members and knows that they have some problems with him.
"We're trying to work through it," he said.
But Mr. Hill, the deputy mayor pro tem, said he was still upset with Mr. Benavides.
"It [the evaluation] was just a lot of talk," he said. "Nothing was resolved."
Earlier this year, Ms. Miller said she had enough support on the council to remove Mr. Benavides but decided against it because the city was entering a critical period that included the mayoral and council elections.
Led by the black and Hispanic delegations, Mr. Benavides received a vote of confidence from council members. Only Mitchell Rasansky said that he favored removing Mr. Benavides.
For years, black council members supported Mr. Benavides, but the firing of Mr. Bolton, the city's first black police chief, has created a split among the current four black council members.
Mr. Hill said he wouldn't mind seeing the city manager pay a political price for firing Mr. Bolton. Others don't want to retaliate because they don't want to help Ms. Miller.
"I can't tell you we've moved past it," Mr. Hill said. "Our community is demanding that something be done."
Council member Maxine Thornton-Reese said she is not yet calling for Mr. Benavides' resignation but has problems with him.
"I don't think we can just smile and say it's OK," Dr. Thornton-Reese said. "If my community says he should go, then I think he should go."
Council member James Fantroy said he couldn't stomach helping Ms. Miller remove Mr. Benavides.
"We're just going to work, let Ted know that this can't happen again and go ahead and run the city," he said.
Council member Leo Chaney Jr. said Mr. Benavides should not be sacked.
"We're not going to evaluate Benavides on one decision," he said. "We're going to look at the way he operates the entire city, even though the community is riled up. Terrell Bolton was our first African-American police chief, [so] that's to be expected."
Mr. Hill acknowledged that the votes are not there to remove Mr. Benavides, even inside the black delegation on the council.
"Fortunately for Ted, their venom is more focused on the mayor," he said. "They feel like he's part of the game and was the one that had to execute."
Mr. Fantroy said it was important to move forward.
"We're just going to work, let Ted know that this can't happen again and go ahead and run the city."
Other council members hope there won't be any backlash against Mr. Benavides.
"The manager did what he had to do," said Elba Garcia, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee. "He's in charge of hiring and firing."
Ms. Garcia said Ms. Miller did not approach her about firing Mr. Benavides.
"I hear the same things, but she hasn't called me. She knows I'm going to support the manager."
Ms. Miller said no council member asked for the city manager's resignation at the evaluation.
"We talked a lot about communication," she said. "We just need to be sure that the manager always communicates with us."
Ms. Miller declined to grade Mr. Benavides' performance.
Council member Ed Oakley said the evaluation was productive.
"It went fine. It was very constructive, and it opened up a lot of dialogue," he said.
Mr. Oakley said reviews were mixed on the Bolton firing.
"Some people wanted to know more. ... I believe Ted handled it in the appropriate manner," he said.
Though no one called for Mr. Benavides' firing in the meeting, the city manager said he was prepared for the worst.
"I talked to my mom. She said I could come home and there are plenty of fences to clean at the ranch," he said. "I've got at least one job."
Staff writer Colleen McCain Nelson contributed to this report.