Councilman in Fort Worth suburb resigns, says he’s tired of the ‘backstabbing’
Scott Prescher, who served on the Watauga City Council for less than two years, resigned late Tuesday afternoon, saying he was tired of the “backstabbing” and accused officials of hiding information from the public.
“The whole time I’ve been there, it’s been a constant drama, a constant fight on the city council…” Prescher said in an interview. “I don’t know if it’s our city or government in general.”
Prescher said the last straw came during a special meeting Monday night when council members voted 6-1 to remove him from the Watauga Youth Commission and library boards because officials said he violated rules of conduct.
Prescher accused the council members of “railroading him” by removing him from the boards.
During Monday’s meeting, Prescher told council members that the motion to remove him from the boards was a “coordinated effort” to shut down his online postings.
“If you vote to do this, that is your prerogative,” Prescher said. “With all due respect, I’ve been more involved in this community than many of you have.”
But Mayor Arthur Miner and other council members described during the meeting how Prescher used inappropriate language during a council retreat and how he called his fellow council members “useless.”
“I am offended by your accusations,” Miner said.
Mayor pro tem Mark Taylor, who made the motion to remove Prescher from the boards, said his motion was not based on Prescher’s online postings, but it was because Prescher used inappropriate language during a council retreat where the public was present.
Taylor said that although he does not agree with Prescher’s online postings, he respects his right to free speech.
Another council member, Lovey Downey, said she was upset that Prescher called her and others “useless.”
“To have someone heading that commission where my child is, you called his mother useless. It becomes more personal than that,” Downey said.
Prescher said he also had confrontations with other council members and city officials over an ordinance that was adopted earlier that month that prohibits citizens from secretly recording city officials without giving them notice.
Violating the ordinance carries a $500 fine.
Prescher questioned why the vote on the ordinance was on the consent agenda, meaning it would have been voted on along with other items such as approving meeting minutes without discussion. He insisted on voting on the ordinance as a separate item.
“The agenda item was vague, and it was vague on purpose. For them (council members) to address such a drastic measure during the pandemic is despicable and indefensible,” Prescher said.
Bradley Frawley, a spokesman for the city, said in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the ordinance prohibiting secret recordings was voted on after city manager Andrea Gardner and city attorney George Hyde received complaints stating that current and former council members and residents might be recording other council members, city staff and executive sessions without their knowledge.
Current council members complained to the city attorney and city manager, Frawley said.
Meanwhile, Prescher also filed for a second council term and said it may be too late to remove his name from the November ballot, but he said he would not serve if he was chosen.
Frawley said that the city attorney will discuss options for filling the vacant council seat at future meetings.