Fulshear City Council met in a special session March 29 after information came to light regarding legal issues that former city secretary Diana Offord was involved with. Mayor Jeff Roberts was unable to attend the meeting to discuss Offord’s dismissal.

City Attorney J. Grady Randle explained why the council was being asked to consider Offord's termination, as recommended by Acting City Manager Kenny Seymour.

Randle said Offord was involved in a series of court cases that led to multiple determinations by probate, Fort Bend County and federal courts that had sanctioned her for false statements with judgments and attorney fees of more than $65,000.

Seymour had provisionally terminated Offord March 23, pending a vote by the City Council.  In a letter to the council that Seymour read during the meeting, he cited as city secretary, Offord had been responsible for overseeing city elections, monitoring and certifying government documents and being an ambassador for the city. The judgments against her, he said, negatively affected the public faith in Offord and cast doubt upon her ability to perform those duties.

“Per the [Fulshear city] charter, the city manager has the absolute discretion to hire and fire all city employees with the exception of two, one of which is the city secretary,” Randle said. “In that case, the city manager, to hire or fire, needs the approval of the City Council.”

The council unanimously affirmed Offord's termination.