Whitehouse city manager’s contract extended

Published 4:19 am Thursday, October 1, 2015

 

Whitehouse city council members took steps Tuesday night to secure a new police chief and allowed the contract of the current city manager to be renewed and his probationary period to expire. 

City Spokesman Madison Johnson said the city council was given a directive by the board in charge of interviewing candidates for police chief to give a conditional job offer to William Edward Morris.

Johnson said Morris has served as the Balch Springs police chief, an interim city manager for the same city and has 39 years of law enforcement experience. 

“The goal, after he passes a background check, financial inquiry and a medical exam, is to have him in house within the next 14 days, but I am sure he has things he needs to tie up on his end,” he said.

Johnson said the council decided not to take any action on the contract of City Manager Kevin Huckabee, who had been on probation since August for violating city policies during a May 14 incident.



Johnson said because there was no action, Huckabee’s contract as city manager will automatically renew and as of Tuesday his probation period ended, meaning he can conduct all city business including hiring and firing of city employees. 

Huckabee and former Chief Craig Shelton and three officer were placed on leave for a May 14 incident involving the wife of one of Shelton’s officers. 

Shelton was arrested and indicted on a misdemeanor assault charge, but that charge was later dismissed by the court after it was learned the alleged victim repeatedly made false statements to a grand jury.

Shelton later resigned and Huckabee and two of the officers were reinstated to duty.

Johnson said one officer has since resigned and another was terminated following the incident. resigned from his position in early August.

Three of the officers have filed suit against the city of Whitehouse and Smith County.

“This is a new beginning and we hope to get past what all has happened in the last year,” Johnson said.