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The City of Farmers Branch has released an April 2 ethics complaint filed against Mayor Terry Lynne, who is seeking re-election in the May 2 municipal election.
At least three more complaints have since been filed with the city; whom the complaints name has not been released by the city.
Farmers Branch released the April 2 complaint to the Branch Herald on April 16. It was filed by Farmers Branch resident Vanessa Smith, who alleges Lynne violated Sections 2-280(h) and 2-279(9) of the city's Code of Ethics.
The complaint alleges Lynne made inaccurate statements on social media claiming to have brought the most new businesses to Farmers Branch during his tenure as mayor, said statements about his role working with the police chief that misrepresented the mayor's actual authority under the city charter and appeared in a video posted to the Carrollton City Limits Facebook page distributing city-issued business cards in a non-official capacity, conduct the complaint characterizes as campaigning using city resources in violation of the city charter.
The city council addressed the April 2 complaint at a special called meeting April 10. After convening in closed executive session, Mayor Pro Tem Tina Bennett-Burton, who is also running for re-election for District 2 in the May 2 election, reported nothing from executive session. Council voted 5-0 on a motion by Council Member Elizabeth Villafranca, seconded by Council Member David Reid, not to pursue the complaint.
After the vote, Reid raised a question about the phrasing of the motion.
"We did pursue the complaint. We discussed it. We came to a decision," Reid said. "To the attorney, I'm wondering whether saying we're not going to pursue the complaint is appropriate. Just wordsmithing here."
City Attorney David Berman said the council had not pursued the complaint in the technical sense. He said that in executive session, the council received the report by the city attorney, and that the open session vote was a decision not to move to the next step in the process.
"I think it's clear exactly what the council's intent is," Berman said.
The April 2 complaint was not the last. A complaint filed April 8 was on the agenda for the April 21 regular city council meeting, where council was set to address it in closed executive session. A special called meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, for the council to address in executive session two additional complaints filed April 16 and April 17.
The Branch Herald has filed open records requests for the complaints filed April 8, 16 and 17.
Smith confirmed with the Branch Herald that she filed additional ethics complaints against Lynne since April 2.
Lynne faces two challengers in the May 2 mayoral race: Rinkesh "Rink" Desai and Jaime Rivas. Early voting runs through April 28.
You can find candidate questionnaires for all three mayoral candidates on the Branch Herald Elections Page. https://www.branchherald.com/elections-homepage/index.html
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