Mayor Anthony Turner Creating Ethics

Mayor Anthony Turner

Mayor Turner is in the process of creating an Ethics committee for the Town of Anthony, Tx. This committee made up of six Anthony residents will be responsible for investigating matters pertaining to civil rights grievances, financial irresponsibility claims, etc. as needed for the airing and resolving legitimate concerns. 

We have had unethical behavior from former mayors like Mayor Art Franco. Mr. Franco pleaded guilty in district court to tampering with Town of Anthony government records in 2010 and was sentenced to three years probation. At the time he was running unopposed in the 2013 election and of course won with 189 votes. He didn’t want to resign but he eventually did. Would an Ethics Committee have been able to intervene and save the town ending up with another mayor elected by the council and not the people of the town?

Another former mayor Ben Romero was arrested twice while he was mayor. Once on Sept 6, 2022 according to a report by KVIA, “The allegations, read against Romero during his hearing, allege that he grabbed the woman’s hair, she grabbed his hair back and that he then grabbed her from her legs and slammed her to the ground and then placed his forearm on her neck not letting her move, but did not impede her breathing.” The clerk, during the magistrate hearing, read the affidavit from a first incident, which most of the council and the town’s people had not heard of, occurring the year before in June of 2021. This previous incident was handled by the Anthony Police Department and according to KDBC Romero allegedly told the woman, when she threatened to call the police, that he had already contacted the Anthony police chief and Romero said nothing was going to happen to him. Statements made by then Mayor Romero could be investigated by an Ethics Committee.

What if allegations arise that a former mayor used the town vehicle and town funds to take his family to Disneyland? Or that another former mayor used the town vehicle and town funds to go see his son play baseball with the pretext of going to a training workshop in another state, but never attending the training? This alleged criminal behavior, could be investigated by an Ethics Committee. Without an investigation, these acts would probably be swept under the rug during a closed session. The council could force him to resign, but the town would not know his true reason for resigning, allowing his criminal behavior to go unpunished and able to run again. The use of city property for personal use, the misuse of public funds, and fraud allegations like these would be investigated by an Ethics committee followed by recommendations and in the best case scenario cause less damage to the town. Texas Rangers would be brought in for criminal violations. This committee promises to promote ethical behavior and provide more transparency from our government.