INGLESIDE, Tx — The Ingleside City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday regarding the alleged altering of a public meeting by City Manager Brenton Lewis.
Following the nearly 90-minute executive session, the council voted in favor of issuing Lewis a letter of reprimand for violating Personnel Policies and Procedures Section 13G under "Prohibited Activities." However, no members of the council specified the exact activities committed by Lewis that warranted the issuing of the letter.
As 6 Investigates found, Lewis had communications with the city's former IT coordinator in July 2023. These communications show Lewis requesting that the IT coordinator remove the audio of a public meeting in one specific area.This action could potentially violate the Texas Penal Code and the Public Information Act.
"This council takes possible violations very seriously," Council Member Julio Salinas said ahead of the vote. "This sets the pace for any further policy violations that come to this council."
Council Member Steve Diehl added, "I believe in graduated punishment." Diehl also said that, "We don't go from step zero to step ten," and that if there is a "pattern," the necessary "additional steps" will be taken.
When 6 Investigates initially reached out to Diehl for a comment last week, he said he would request an investigation by the city attorney into these allegations. However, no comment was made regarding a potential investigation.
Prior to entering the executive session, several community members spoke in support of Lewis.
"When you're hiring and firing, you don't know who you're going to get," Ingleside resident Martha Habluetzel told the council. "I'm asking you to consider everything, and even the big picture. If someone needs to be terminated, what is it going to cost us, the taxpayers, to replace them?"
Ingleside resident Courtney Shane also said that, "I don't want Mr. Lewis fired. There's a lot more people who are involved in this that should be investigated."
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