City of Elkhart Officials Prepared for Texas Ranger Investigation

By Sarah Naron

Messenger Reporter

ELKHART – The Texas Rangers are welcome in conducting their investigation into the City of Elkhart, according to Mayor Mike Gordon.

“We welcome any law enforcement here,” Gordon said on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 6. “Matter of fact, we were really thinking about calling them ourselves to come down here and to kind of help us out and show them some things. So, we welcome them to come down here. That’s no problem.

“We have nothing to hide,” he continued. “Everything’s pretty open.”

When asked what he believed may have prompted the investigation, Gordon’s response was, “I have really no idea.

“It’s just a grievance with this present council and some of the employees that are here,” he said.

According to Gordon, the city “went through a lot of city secretaries” before settling on Carla Sheridan, who Gordon said has “exposed a lot of inaccuracies and problems that was within this city.

Gordon spoke of 10-year employment contracts which were put in place by city officials in an effort to “protect” Sheridan and Public Works Supervisor B.J. Perry, which have been viewed as a cause for concern for residents of the city. Included in the contracts are provisions for $100,000 severance packages.

“This outside group of people made statements that they were going to come in here and clean house and do this and do that and basically put in the people they want,” explained Gordon in a January interview with The Messenger. “This $100,000 severance pay don’t really mean nothing. What it does mean (is), if they come in here and fire these people because they don’t like them, they have to pay them $100,000.”

During Tuesday’s interview, Gordon reiterated the sentiment that the contracts mean little to him.

“It really means nothing,” he said. “It just (means) that you leave those employees alone and let them do their job.

“I think that’s the sole purpose of these outside people who’ve got an ax to grind,” Gordon continued. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s just the way it is. It’s politics.”

City officials, Gordon said, are not concerned by the investigation which is currently underway.

“We welcome whoever comes down here to investigate,” he said. “We’ll show them some things that we have found. We’re not really bothered about it at all.”

According to Gordon, city officials take no action on any matter – including the issues with which Elkhart residents hold grievances – without contacting the attorney who represents the city.

“That’s why we have a high attorney bill, because we take care of our business,” he said. “People don’t like that, but I’m sorry.”

Gordon explained that members of the previous council are “basically after” Sheridan and Perry, who “have reported a lot of things that had been going on around here” when the past council was in office.

“They’ve been called names, and a lot of this stuff is on videotape,” he said. “We have records of all this stuff.”

According to Gordon, Elkhart is a city which has faced more than 30 years of problems and finally has “a good council” in place.

“We’re trying to get some things cleaned up, and a lot of people don’t like that,” he said.

Gordon said the city council is often accused by many Elkhart residents as being dishonest.

“No matter what you say or you, we’re either lying or we’re telling untruths or we’re just full of it,” he said.

The council, Gordon insisted, is no such thing.

“We’re honest and straightforward people,” he said. “That’s just the way it is. And if these investigators happen to show up, we’ll tell them the same thing.

“We have nothing to hide,” he continued. “We’re not quitting. We’re not running with our tail between our legs. No, we’re staying and hanging in here, because we know we’re doing the right thing. We know we have done nothing wrong.”

Gordon reiterated that any and all investigators are welcome in the city.

“We’ll get our auditor down here and our bookkeeper, and we’ll just sit down with our attorney and have a nice talk,” he said. “There may be some more investigating going on, but it won’t be with us.”

Sarah Naron may be reached via email at [email protected].

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