The Balch Springs City Council voted Monday to remove a board and commission member because they said she violated a new policy that prohibits board members from speaking out against the city.
Jess Reaka, a conservation biologist, had served on the Park and Recreation Advisory Board and the Flood and Drainage Committee since last spring.
She said she is being unfairly removed for speaking out on city policies on Facebook. She said it’s not the first time a board member has been removed for sharing thoughts about the city on social media.
“I believe it's collectively not just me,” Reaka said. “There have been multiple people that talk about things on Facebook because [city council members] don't seem to listen when you're in their face, they don't answer emails. They don't call you back.”
Last month the council passed a set of new policies for board and commission members requiring them to “[protect] the city’s reputation."
“Any public comment, whether in person or online, that disparages and damages the city’s reputation, its officials, or its citizens, and jeopardizes public trust, is strictly prohibited,” the manual reads.
The policy includes consequences such as “disciplinary action, including potential removal from the board or commission.”
KERA reached out to city council members who voted for the policy and did not receive a response, but Mayor Pro Tem Elishima Myles, who served on the committee that recommended the policy, said during last month’s meeting that board members should adhere to the same policies as staff.
“We've put in place something for employees and the staff if they go online and say things about the city or place things, not to bully or anything, but hold certain standards that we are supposed to hold ourselves to as well, to represent the city,” she said.
At the same meeting, the city attorney advised the council to keep in mind that board members have a first amendment right.
On Facebook, Reaka called the policy a “dangerous precedent” that violates free speech rights. It was that message that led to her removal.
At the council meeting Monday night, two fellow board members spoke in support of Reaka and said it was unfair to remove her.
"You’re taking our committee members when it’s very hard to serve on these committees and boards,” said David Stone, chair of the Flood and Drainage Committee. “All of us in this room should be recognized for taking our time to come in here and do what we can do to help our city.”
The two council members who voted against the removal were Yemi Salau and Vincent Gabriel, who is Reaka’s partner.
Despite her removal, Reaka said she plans to continue showing up to meetings and is looking into taking legal action against the city.
“We've got some really amazing things in the works, and I'm not going to let them stop that progress,” she said.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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