The Corpus Christi City Council class of 2018 was sworn in Dec. 13, 2016. It quickly changed and is still rearranging. At center is newly elected Mayor Dan McQueen, center, who resigned his position 37 days later. Also shown are (from left) Federal Judge Janis Jack and members Michael Hunter, Lucy Rubio, Ben Molina, McQueen, Joe McComb (who is now mayor after the May special election), Paulette Guajardo, Greg Smith and Rudy Garza Jr. Another new member will be appointed June 20. Courtesy photo
A new election will be called to select Corpus Christi’s next mayor after Mayor Dan McQueen resigned only 37 days into his term. Until at least mid-March, Mayor Pro-tem Carolyn Vaughn will serve as an interim mayor. The council self-selects its pro-tem on a rotating schedule, giving each council member a chance to serve throughout the year.
Although no date has been set, mayoral hopefuls are already throwing their hats in the ring, including former at-large council member Chad Magill, who came in fourth in a Nov. 8 race that seated the top three vote-getters. Current at-large council member Joe McComb has said he is considering making a run for the seat as os former at-large member Mark Scott.
McQueen announced his resignation on Facebook. He made it official the same day when he submitted a written resignation to the city secretary. According to legal advice given the council in September when Scott resigned, Scott may be considering a run at the office as well. McQueen will continue to be mayor until the council has accepted his resignation.
Some confusion still swirls around his chief of staff, who resigned and then withdrew her resignation. She was hired by the mayor and works for the mayor, not the city. She can be replaced by an interim mayor or a new mayor. Questions over whether her hiring violated city nepotism rules since she her address is the same as McQueen’s, have gone unanswered.
Chief of Staff Shari Douglas changed her drivers license address to a P.O. Box after the election, in which she served as McQueen’s treasurer. The city’s nepotism rules precludes the hiring of domestic partners. Vaughn said the council needs to look at clarifying the rules to prevent future confusion.
The question over his chief of staff was just one of a list of pressures that mounted over the past few days as the mayor took to social media to vent his frustrations at traditional media, fellow council members and city staff. In a public meeting with the Nueces County Republican Club on Jan. 16, he also criticized the Corpus Christi Police Department for what he said were slow response times.
He sat down for an exclusive interview with one of the local TV stations before his resignation. His answers to questions were combative and circuitous. He never directly answered questions that came up about his credentials or his personal relationship with his chief of staff. A few hours after the interview, McQueen turned in his resignation.
