At a Hutto City Council meeting on Jan. 7, council members took a vote of no confidence in city manager Karen Daly and with a vote of 4 to 3.

Former Hutto Police Sgt. Paul Leal Former Hutto Police Sgt. Paul Leal was one area resident who spoke during a Jan. 7 council meeting regarding a vote of no confidence in City Manager Karen Daly. Leal said he was unfairly terminated from his position with the city on July 31.[/caption]

Daly's future in the role is unclear following the vote of no confidence. A city spokesperson said the vote does not necessarily mean the council will move forward in terminating Daly. To terminate Daly's contract would require another vote with at least five members voting to terminate in order to do so, according to city staff.

Former Hutto Police Sgt. Paul Leal was one area resident who spoke during a Jan. 7 council meeting regarding a vote of no confidence in City Manager Karen Daly. Leal said he was unfairly terminated from his position with the city on July 31. Council member Anne Cano, who proposed the vote of no confidence said she does not believe the city manager has effectively led city staff and community partnerships.

"I feel like on our watch some things were going on," she said. "We’ve been working on this for a year or more, and it's on our watch, it's on my watch some of this stuff is happening and I’m uncomfortable with that.”

Council members Max Yeste and Ronnie Quintanilla-Perez voted in favor of Daly.

"In the time since we’ve hired Karen Daly as our city manager she’s done everything we’ve asked her to do," Yeste said. "Everything we’ve heard tonight...tells us Ms. Daly has not been doing anything wrong.”

Several dozen residents packed the council room and adjacent rooms on Thursday and many offered public comment on Daly’s role in the community as well as the role of Police Chief Earl Morrison.

Comments were primarily positive regarding the character and contributions of the city manager. Some residents stated disapproval of Daly's role in what they referred to as deteriorating relationships between the city, Hutto ISD and the Hutto Fire Department. Some city staff members as well as the Hutto Police Officers' Association stated their approval of Daly.

Daly was selected by Hutto City Council in March 2014 and is the fourth city manager in Hutto’s history, according to the city’s website. Daly previously served as the assistant city manager of the city of Sugar Land, Texas and the city manager of Greenville, Texas and held other city leadership positions, according to the website.