Bandera City Council member Jeff Flowers issued a statement addressing the Jan 2 dismissal of Nancy De Foster Bandera City Marshal, citing a difficult decision as part of the council’s responsibility to ensure the city’s long-term health and functionality.
“This decision did not come lightly,” Flowers wrote in a Jan. 3 Facebook post. “The Marshal was given a comprehensive review six months ago that included a Performance Improvement Plan outlining a clear path to address prior concerns. Despite this opportunity for correction, persistent issues arose, including disregard for authority, insubordination, and actions that undermined the will of the Council and city administration.”
Flowers said that although De Foster “accomplished much good during her tenure,” the issues overshadowed the successes.
Council voted 4-1 during a special meeting to remove De Foster, citing insubordination against her supervisor, City Manager Stan Farmer.
Flowers’ full statement was as follows: “As one of your City of Bandera councilman, I take my responsibilities seriously, and there are few duties more challenging than making decisions that impact individuals, their family, and our community as a whole. Recently, the City Council faced a difficult decision regarding our City Marshal. After a thorough evaluation that began six months ago, it became clear that changes were necessary to ensure the long-term health, functionality, and integrity of our city’s operations.
This decision did not come lightly. The Marshal was given a comprehensive review six months ago that included a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) outlining a clear path to address prior concerns. Despite this opportunity for correction, persistent issues arose, including disregard for authority, insubordination, and actions that undermined the will of the Council and city administration. While the Marshal accomplished much good during her tenure, these behaviors overshadowed her successes and made it impossible to maintain a productive and respectful working environment.
The role of the Marshal is vital to the success of our city. It demands a commitment to teamwork, accountability, and collaboration with all branches of city government. Disregarding these principles creates a toxic environment that threatens the cohesion and progress of our community. For this reason, the Council had to act in the best interests of Bandera, ensuring we maintain a government that is transparent, unified, and capable of serving its citizens effectively.
This decision was not easy and is a loss regardless of perspective. It is my hope that we can move forward with grace and focus on building a stronger future for our city. I extend my gratitude to the Marshal for her service and wish her the best in her future endeavors.
As we navigate this new chapter, my family and I are committed to fostering a city government rooted in respect, collaboration, and shared purpose. I thank you for your trust and understanding as we continue to make decisions that prioritize the well-being of Bandera.
Sincerely, Jeff Flowers ‘God, Family, Bandera’”
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State sets employment records in 2024 Texas again broke all records for employment in 2024 as the state again led the nation in jobs added over the past 12 months.
“The No. 1 economy in America is built by Texans,” Abbott said. “Texas leads the nation in annual job creation and more Texans are working than ever before as we break record after record for total employment.”
The state’s workforce reached a new high of 15,536,100, while the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose a tenth of a point to 4.2%.
“After another month of job growth, the Texas labor force participation rate has reached a 10-year high, at 64.7 percent,” said Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Bryan Daniel. “This positive trend shows the strength of the Texas workforce, its employers and its job seekers.”
Correction
Due to an editing error, the party breakdown cited in last week’s item about the 2025 legislative session was incorrect. There will be 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats in the Texas House, rather than 87-63 as we reported.
Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@texaspress. com
