Flatonia Looks to Move Forward After Heated Meeting, Mayor Quitting

Flatonia Mayor Bryan Milson resigned from office on Oct. 14. The City Council will meet on Nov. 9 to consider options for his replacement. In the meantime, Mayor Pro Tem Catherine Steinhauser will exercise the duties of mayor.

Milson said he resigned to spend more time on other pursuits.

“My family comes first and I have decided to step down as mayor so I can spend more time with them and my close friends,” Milson said in a letter to Flatonia citizens that was published in the Oct. 21 Flatonia Argus newspaper.

“I feel its time to focus on enjoying life without drama,” Milson said in the letter.

Milson took office as mayor in 2014 after several terms as a councilman. In all, he served 11 years in elected office in Flatonia.

Much turmoil has taken place in the Flatonia government over the past two years.

The City Council hired Sarah Novo as City Manager in March 2020. She replaced former City Manager Mark McLaughlin, who left Flatonia in November 2019 to take the city manager job in Kingsville. Soon after Novo’s arrival, she launched an investigation into “serious financial and operational concerns” at City Hall.

That investigation led to the early retirement of former City Secretary Melissa Brunner. The City Attorney at the time, Angela Beck, resigned in the wake of Brunner’s departure. The City hired Heather Ambrose to replace Brunner as secretary in March of this year.

Ambrose and Novo both resigned at the same time in August of this year. Novo cited a lack of support from elected leaders in her brief resignation letter. Ambrose submitted a five-page letter to the Council before her resignation in which she alleged conflict between City personnel and citizens, false statements by city employees, and continuing failures in financial oversight. The City has since hired Wayne McKethan as Interim City Manager.

When asked if his resignation has anything to do with the recent turmoil at City Hall, Milson said the following: “I’m not in the business of pointing fingers and naming names. I wish them the best of luck.”

Milson would have been up for election in May 2022. McKethan told the Record on Monday that Council will meet on Nov. 9 to decide how to proceed.

McKethan said the Council has three options. First, they could decide to leave the position open until the May 2022 election. Steinhauser, the mayor pro tem, would perform the mayor’s duties until that time. Second, they could call a special election to fill the position until the May 2022 regular election. Thirdly, McKethan said, the City Council could appoint someone to serve as mayor until the May 2022 election.

Milson’s resignation followed a particularly heated Flatonia City Council meeting on Oct. 12. The Council met for over two hours and 45 minutes in executive session to discuss the “appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline or dismissal” of the police chief, Lee Dick.

A standing-room-only crowd came to the meeting, which took place following the resignation of three police officers. Three people spoke during the public comment period – two against the chief and one in favor. Council took no action on the Chief’s employment following the executive session. Flatonia Police Lt. Adriana Pritchard resigned the following day. Her husband, former Flatonia Police Sgt. Mark Pritchard, had resigned prior to the meeting. Another officer is currently on medical leave. McKethan said Flatonia Police currently has four vacancies out of a force of eight officers plus the chief. Two of the four officers currently employed are new hires. He said, and the City is interviewing candidates to fill the remaining positions.