In a 6-1 vote during its July 5 meeting, Missouri City City Council appointed the first seven members to the commission, which will act as a review and recommending committee to City Council on the subject of ethics within Missouri City, according to a July 5 agenda report. At least once a year and by special request, the commission will meet to review the code of conduct from city staff, appointed officials and council members, according to the ordinance that was initially approved by City Council in 2021.
“Thank you for your patience and working with us as we work through all of the criteria and processes for this new commission,” District A Council Member Monica Riley said. “I think it’s been a long-awaited time to get this done.”
The commission will be represented solely by Missouri City residents through staggered three-year terms and will serve until their successors are appointed, according to the agenda report. The first three positions—positions 2, 4 and 6— will expire June 30, 2024, while the remaining four positions will expire a year later June 30, 2025.
According to the motion approved by City Council, the members of the commission that were appointed include Position 1, filled by Tamara Clark; Position 2, filled by Janet Alvarez Jedkins; Position 3, filled by Susan Soto; Position 4, filled by John Strader; Position 5, filled by Sie Allen III; Position 6, filled by Chassidy Olainu-Alade; and Position 7, filled by LarKaya Gant.
Appointing members to the ethics commission comes two months after City Council voted to fire former City Manager Charles “Tink” Jackson with cause May 3. When City Council first voted to place Jackson on administrative leave ahead of that May 3 vote, Council Member Vashaundra Edwards motioned to have him fired “based on evidence that he violated our city charter requirements, ethical tenants that were established by [the International City/County Management Association] and [the Texas City Management Association], and the hirings and firings and handlings of individuals in his office.”
In total, Missouri City received 31 applications for a spot on the commission. Of those, 11 were not eligible or withdrew. The city then asked 17 residents to complete an online interview before the city narrowed it down to 10 candidates for in-person interviews.
