Forest Hill council member suspended until March for not having home renovation permit
Forest Hill Councilwoman Beckie Duncan Hayes was suspended for four months following a public hearing.
Several council members charged Hayes with violating the city’s charter for failing to obtain permits for work done at her home earlier this year. She was also accused with communicating with city employees without going through the city manager and with handing out written materials to council members. That charge was later dropped.
Hayes’ suspension lasts until March 17, and she cannot conduct any city business and must communicate with the interim city manager, Venus Wehle, concerning access to her mail.
Council members Malinda Miller, Racquel Belle, Carlie Jones and Ozell Birks voted Tuesday to suspend Hayes while Sonja Coleman and mayor Clara Faulkner voted against the motion.
Before the vote to suspend Hayes, Coleman said, “It’s ridiculous to suspend someone for four months. Come on y’all. You set yourself up for whatever comes next. Let’s get ready to rumble. There is a time to speak and a time to be quiet. Tonight, I’m speaking. Don’t tell me y’all didn’t plan this,” she said.
Frank Hill, an attorney representing Duncan Hayes, admonished the council during the hearing stating that the charges were “constitutionally vague” and that the charges against his client were unclear.
“My point again is not to be threatening but to alert you that you are about to embark on an unlawful constitutional proceeding without sufficient clarity of the charges and without clarity in the ordinances as to what she has allegedly done,” Hill told the council.
Hill told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he will likely file a federal lawsuit next week against Forest Hill and the four council members for violating Hayes’ constitutional rights.
When the hearing began, Miller discussed the charges and said the issue was with the contractor hired by Hayes to do the work at her home for failing to file paperwork including an insurance certificate.
Miller said the work started in April and was completed in September.
“This is a council member; this council member has resources. She could have reached out to staff. The work is finished we’re here today because of the contractor,” Miller said.
Tommy Thomas, a code enforcement officer for the city, testified that he drove past Hayes’ home numerous times as part of his inspection rounds but never saw work being done that required a permit.
“I didn’t find anything whatsoever…” he said. “I didn’t see an electrician’s truck, no plumber’s truck.”
Thompson said he saw someone doing tile work and putting in cabinets, but did not see anything that would draw his attention.
This is not the first time that Hayes has faced controversy on the city council.
In 2019, Duncan Hayes and former mayor Lindia Thomas resigned after they were reimbursed for $545 tickets to attend Michelle Obama’s book tour in Dallas. The two women said they did nothing wrong and that the expense was allowed under the city’s public relations budget.
This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 11:05 AM.