By Shelley Kofler, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-949127.mp3
Dallas, TX – A bipartisan crowd grew angry Friday as Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins convened a closed door meeting and accepted the resignation of elections administrator Bruce Sherbet.
Sherbet says he resigned his job of 24 years on Thursday because Jenkins and County Commissioner John Wiley Price were working behind the scenes to replace him and Sherbet didn't want to work in a hostile environment.
KERA's Shelley Kofler reports that questions about the intentions of Jenkins and Price remain.
A crowd of democrats and republicans wearing "Keep Bruce Sherbet" shirts waited as County Judge Clay Jenkins convened a closed door meeting of the Dallas County Elections Commission. The commission hadn't met for 24 years and its only function is to hire and fire the elections administrator. Democratic precinct chair Paula Leone believed Sherbet was about to get the shaft.
Leone: It goes without saying Bruce Sherbet is internationally known for being phenomenal at his work. I think he's being railroaded. It's hard to say why. It looks on the surface as though Clay Jenkins is doing John Wiley Price's bidding and that's very disconcerting.
Commissioner Price has not responded to KERA's calls or to charges that he wants his own person in the elections administrator job.
After more than an hour meeting Jenkins emerged to say a majority of three on the commission- democrats Jenkins, County Tax Assessor John Ames, and County Clerk John Warren - had voted to accept Sherbet's resignation even though Sherbet had sought to withdraw it.
Jenkins claims he called the meeting simply to review Sherbet's performance.
Jenkins: The meeting was held to do a performance review of a department head has not been reviewed in 24 years. The meeting was not held of fire Mr. Sherbet. He resigned in the media Wednesday and gave us a resignation the following day.
Neerman: There was no performance review of Bruce Sherbet.
Republican Party Chair Jonathan Neerman doesn't buy Jenkins explanation.
Neerman: That we have a meeting with four days notice, no performance review of Mr. Sherbet, and now Judge Jenkins has taken the incredible position that this is somehow Bruce's fault I find shameful.
As the county GOP chair Neerman often finds himself at odds with the county's democratic chair Darlene Ewing. In this case, however, Neerman and Ewing, also in the meeting, voted to allow Sherbet to withdraw his resignation and keep his job. They were outgunned.
The crowd awaiting the outcome exploded with anger when they realized Judge Jenkins had left the building without addressing them.
The Sherbet supporters have promised to confront Jenkins at the next county commission meeting.
The three democrats and two republicans on the county commission must approve or reject the Sherbet decision.
Democrat Jenkins and Price will likely need the support of Commissioner Elba Garcia to force Sherbet's departure. Republican commissioners Maureen Dickey and Mike Cantrell are expected to support Sherbet's reinstatement.