THE HEADLINES FROM FERRIS’ WILD RIDE IN 2018
March 1, 2018
FERRIS SEEKING APPROVAL OF $12-MILLION BOND FOR NEW FERRIS MUNICIPAL CENTER
City Manager Bill Jordan assures all Ferris residents over the age of 65 their home property taxes would not increase due to the upcoming proposed bond election.
March 22, 2018
OUTSIDE PARTY TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST DEPT. HEADS
11 sexual harassment complaints are filed against City Manager Jordan, who then submits his resignation. Mayor Micheal Driggars refuses the resignation and reinstates the city manager.
March 29, 2018
CITIZENS PROTEST SUSPENSION OF FERRIS POLICE CHIEF, INVESTIGATOR
Sources say the suspensions appear to be retaliation against the Ferris PD for their investigation of sexual harassment allegations concerning the city manager.
April 5, 2018
SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE
The Ferris City Council approves an $8,000 outside investigative cost by Arlington’s The Bowman Group for five employees – City Manager Bill Jordan, Police Chief Eddie Salazar, Investigator Walter Weiss – as well as administrative allegations against Economic Development Director Sean Overeynder and Finance Director Melissa Gonzalez – with the results to be sent directly to council.
April 19, 2018
CITY DOING DAMAGE CONTROL
Individual citizens investigate the property-tax exemption claim by City Manager Jordan and find it’s not true – citizens over 65 will not be exempt from the proposed Ferris Municipal Center Bond.
April 26, 2018
MAYOR BREAKS TIE VOTES TO PUNISH CRITICS, ECP
Mayor Micheal Driggars circumvents council meeting procedures to hush negative public comments, then breaks a 2-2 tied council vote to remove The Ellis County Press as Ferris’ paper of record – purportedly in retaliation for reporting alleged inappropriate city official conduct, including his own.
May 10, 2018
FERRIS VOTERS NIX $12-MILLION BOND
Voters overwhelmingly defeat the proposed Ferris Municipal Center Bond 82% to 18%.
May 17, 2018
OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION PROVES 6 OF 11 SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS AGAINST FERRIS CITY MANAGER
Dr. Theron Bowman of the Bowman Group presents his long-awaited findings concerning the sexual harassment investigation of City Manager Bill Jordan to the Ferris city council in Executive Session.
The council, still in Executive Session, then votes – to extend Jordan’s contract.
May 31, 2018
BOWMAN GROUP REPORT OBTAINED THROUGH OPEN RECORDS
At the cost of $57.60, The Ellis County Press obtains a copy of the secretive Bowman Group Report.
The 291-page investigation sustains (proves) 6 of the 11 sexual harassment counts against City Manager Jordan, including: the transmitting of nude female photos to another Ferris city employee by cell phone; making inappropriate comments to a female employee about her breasts in the presence of another employee; viewing pornographic images with an employee on a city computer; talking with two employees about bringing a sexually-oriented business to Ferris – but suggesting the business not be topless because patrons wouldn’t be allowed to touch the dancers; talking about the breasts of a city employee to a different female employee; and the failure to keep the city’s workplace free of sexual harassment.
Four counts were not proven, with a fifth not investigated because it was already under Federal investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
In a summarizing statement, the report concluded that “Jordan had intentionally created an environment wherein harassing elements would be the norm and only potentially disallowed if someone signaled disapproval. However, repeated testimony indicated that subordinates advised Bill Jordan of his misconduct over an extended period, yet he repeatedly reoffended. The environment during his tenure is characterized with periodic, if not frequent, sexually suggestive comments, insults, and innuendo, and allowing the same behavior from subordinates to go uncorrected. It is apparent that despite efforts to manage the fiscal affairs of the City of Ferris, Bill Jordan has lost management control of the city work environment, and completely compromised his ability to lead and discipline his staff.”
June 14, 2018
INCIDENT REPORT RELEASED AFTER 60-DAYS STONEWALLING
After dragging their feet for two months (the normal period is 10 days) on an open records request, the City of Ferris finally releases an incident report to The Ellis County Press involving apparent sexual misconduct between a Ferris city employee and newly former Mayor Micheal Driggars.
June 28, 2018
FERRIS EDC DIRECTOR RESIGNS – RECEIVES HEALTHY SEVERANCE
After just 14 months with the city, Ferris Economic Development Director Sean Overeynder resigns, receiving his remaining annual salary of $63,000 until Sept.
30. City Manager Bill Jordan makes the severance package without consulting the 4A and 4B economic boards or the city council for approval, and the economic board members are infuriated – since the EDC director’s salary and benefits come out of their budget, not the city’s.
July 12, 2018
CITY MANAGER EXPLAINS A HALF-MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET SHORTFALL
Ferris City Manager Jordan states the city budget was hit with unexpected emergencies that could not be put off. For multiple reasons, the City of Ferris begins a hiring and overtime freeze, as well as a spending freeze.
August 9, 2018
COMPLAINT LEVIED AGAINST COUNCILMEN, CITY MANAGER
A complaint is filed with the city on August 3 against Ferris Councilmen Bobby Lindsey, Mayor Pro Tem Jay Walsh and City Manager Bill Jordan by resident Johnathan Hope. Hope accuses the men of trying to enlist him in a plan to get rid of Ferris Police Chief Eddie Salazar. Attempts to get comments from Lindsey, Walsh or Jordan concerning the allegations are unsuccessful.
Hope had previously claimed Ferris police planted drugs in his vehicle in 2017. The Ferris officers involved had been cleared of the allegations by both the county and state.
September 6, 2018
FERRIS WANTS TO INSTALL NEW WATER METERS
Ferris City Manager Bill Jordan asked that the 2019 city budget include $450,000 for new water meters. Jordan said the money for the meters will not only come out of the upcoming 2018/2019 fiscal year budget, but staff was also looking at borrowing $1M from an existing bond to pay for the meters.
September 20, 2018
TEMPERS FLARE AT FERRIS COUNCIL MEETINGS
Even though the Ferris City Council had decided in Executive Session to “take no action” concerning resident Johnathan Hope’s accusations against Councilman Lindsey, Mayor Pro Tem Walsh and City Manager Jordan concerning a plan to get rid of Police Chief Salazar, they somehow made their way to the Ellis County District Attorney’s office.
At the Sept. 11 council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Walsh, appearing to read from a prepared script, openly accused Councilwoman Sherie Chapman of filing the papers with the county, and sternly demanded an apology from her – only to find out moments later it was actually Mayor Jim Swafford who contacted and met with the Ellis County DA in an effort to quit “sweeping things under the rug.”
Swafford was told by the DA there was not enough evidence “at that moment” for any charges to be brought.
September 27, 2018
ALLEGATIONS OF FALSE BILLINGS, FAKE TESTS AIRED AT COUNCIL MEETING
Complaints about city water scams escalate, and water customers take their disputes with the city to Facebook. One resident said he received $900, $400 and $300 water bills, and each time the water department told him repeatedly the bills were accurate – until he proved through date and time stamped photos they were not.
City Manager Jordan again states that the new requested water meters will fix the problem, and about the complaints says, “We read every meter every month (and) we have been working with customers over their bills.”
October 11, 2018
MAYOR DISCIPLINARY APPEAL TAKEN OVER BY COUNCIL
With Councilman Rick Barrett absent, a motion made by Councilman Bobby Lindsey and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Jay Walsh passes 3-1 (Councilwoman Sherie Chapman voting nay), to take final employee disciplinary appeal away from Mayor Jim Swafford (his only power other than presiding over council meetings in Ferris’ city manager form of government) – and place it into the hands of the council.
Lindsey and Walsh had been trying to change the personnel policy since Mayor Swafford contacted and met with the Ellis County DA concerning Johnathan Hope’s complaint accusing the two of trying to involve him in a scheme to get rid of Police Chief Salazar.
November 15, 2018
AVERAGE BILLING CAUSES UPROAR
City Manager Bill Jordan claimed he discovered the cause of inaccurate water billing in the City of Ferris, and blames billing clerk Brook Meistrell, who was forced to resign Oct. 31.
It is also revealed her resignation letter was written by her supervisor, Ferris Finance Director Melissa Gonzalez. Gonzalez also allegedly told Meistrell to sign it – or face possible criminal charges – for averaging water bills.
But, several councilmembers and audience members confirmed that in multiple 2019 budget council meeting discussions concerning the need for new water meters, they heard both Community Development Director Scott Metcalf and City Manager Jordan say water bill averaging was a common practice.
In Executive Session at the council meeting on Nov. 5, Jordan is ordered to reinstate Meistrell – and with all missed back pay.
In a meeting set up the next day to reinstate her, Councilman Clayton Hunter – who had agreed to sit in the meeting with Meistrell – is not allowed by Jordan to attend. The city manager demands Meistrell sign a non-disclosure agreement on the condition if she came back to work, she would be forbidden to make public the circumstances of what happened. Meistrell refuses to sign the agreement and leaves.
On Thursday, Nov. 8, Meistrell hands in her resignation letter (this time that she writes), and states she would only return to her job if Assistant Finance Director Lemon were fired.
December 6, 2018
CLEAN UP OR COVER UP?
After a citizen posts a complaint on Facebook her dog was picked up – but returned ill after being held at the Ferris Animal Shelter, city employees are photographed after-hours cleaning up the shelter, throwing away food and still-packaged donated supplies such as leashes and toys.
Those photographs also show animals in cages laying in their own feces.
December 20, 2018
SHELTER PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS DEBATED
At the city council meeting Dec. 17, City Manager Bill Jordan presents a Powerpoint presentation with photography showing the newly cleaned shelter and explains why items had to be thrown away.
“Our staff, especially Scott (Metcalfe), care about the animals,” stated the city manager.
City Councilwoman Sherie Chapman then took the city manager to task, saying “I (appreciate) your pretty pictures, (but) I am sickened to death over the past action – or lack of action – of the city. What happened in the city of Ferris was a disgrace.”