Former at-large council member Mark Scott officially files at city hall to run for Corpus Christi mayor in the May 6 special election. Courtesy photo
The Corpus Christi City Council will hold a special meeting Friday, March 10, for “discussion and possible motions, resolutions, ordinances or other actions related to the eligibility/ineligibility of former city council member Mark Scott for the May 6, 2017, special election for mayor and future city council elections.” The move is seen as a direct attack in the battle to keep former council member Mark Scott off the ballot.
Scott called it “democracy in action” as he officially filed to run for mayor March 6 despite an earlier council resolution declaring him ineligible. A crowd of onlookers and media were on hand to record the moment. The city now has one week — until Monday, March 13 — to determine if he is qualified to run.
According to Scott, that determination was made last September when the council hired outside legal council for an opinion on the matter. An at-large council member at the time, Scott resigned so he would not complete his final term in office according to the city’s term limits ordinance. He planned to wait until 2018 to run for mayor.
Charles Zech of Denton, Navarro, Rocha, Bernal, Hyde & Zech in San Antonio said Scott’s resignation would have to be accepted by the council before he would be officially off the governing body and short of his term limits. Zach further stated, however, that because the city moved the dates of the 2012 election, which included Scott and then-mayor Nelda Martinez, from spring to fall, he had not served a full two-year term at that time, and therefore, would still be eligible to run for mayor.
With only two months left in his term, the council decided not to accept his resignation. In a subsequent meeting, the council then voted unanimously (not counting Scott, who left the room for the vote) to reprimand him for what they said was trying to circumvent the will of the people by finding a way around the term limits law.
The issue died down after the controversial reprimand vote until newly elected Mayor Dan McQueen resigned his position after only 37 days at the helm. The seat was then open. So far, eight people have declared their interest in filing, including Martinez, who was defeated by McQueen in November, and at-large city council member Joe McComb.
Despite what the city council does in its Friday meeting or what the decision is from city staff the following Monday, Scott said he plans to fight for his right to run.
“I intend to challenge any decision that keeps me from running for mayor,” he told a crowd at city hall March 6 after filing. “This is nothing more than an attempt to limit the voters’ choices.”
Friday’s meeting will be called to order at 10 a.m. in council chambers at city hall. After roll call, the council will go into executive session to “consult with attorneys concerning legal issues related to Article II of the charter of the city of Corpus Christi, matters related to eligibility to serve on city council, term limits, the application of term limits provisions of the city charter to Mark Scott, the application of candidacy qualification provisions by the city secretary and presiding officer, and timing issues related thereto, candidacy qualifications pursuant to the Texas Election Code, Texas Election Code 145.003, potential litigation relating to the aforementioned issues, and other legal questions related thereto.”
The agenda also lists for executive session “to deliberate the employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, or discipline of the city secretary.”
The only other item on the agenda is “discussion and possible motions, resolutions, ordinances or other actions related to the eligibility/ineligibility of former city council member Mark Scott for the May 6, 2017, special election for mayor and future city council elections.”
