Suspended Prairie View city manager defends her actions on road project and residents voice support

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (KTRK) -- Just days after a city secretary was fired and the city manager was suspended from their jobs with the city of Prairie View, ABC13 is investigating the reason behind the decision.

The mayor, who called for the special meeting, said it all has to do with the city manager deciding to move forward with a road project in the neighborhood of Villa Capri.

RELATED: Prairie View fires city secretary, suspends city manager after street improvement contract approval

Neighbors told ABC13 that approval made a difference in their daily lives.

"It feels nice to actually bring out the stroller," Villa Capri Resident, Melissa Gutierrez, said.

Being able to walk down the road in her Villa Capri neighborhood is still new for Gutierrez.

"It's the first time that somebody actually does something, and this is the best the roads have been, like you can actually drive now. It was so bad, we were going like 2 mph, and it still felt it was bad," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez showed ABC13 photos from December where the roads were obstructed, even damaging their vehicle.

"We kept getting the back and forth, back and forth. It'll be done in a month, next month, in two weeks, and it never-- I mean, six years," Gutierrez said.

But she said just a few weeks ago that changed when the city manager decided to move forward with a road project with money approved by the city council.

"Can we send you our bill for our tire repair because we hit a hole. We can't see it, it's flooded. Every single day, 'What are you going to do? What are you going to do?' 'You are the administrator of this city. What are you going to do?'" said Wendy Parker, suspended city manager.

One city council member told ABC13 the money for the project was already approved, but the company that would do the work was not, and that's what the city manager approved.

The Prairie View city charter writes, "the city manager can execute a public works project... improve a city street... provided that such project has been approved by the city council."

Parker added that she stands by her actions.

"So, if you could do it over again, would you approve it again?" ABC13 asked.

"I would do this over again," Parker said.

Councilmember Wendy Williams also said this past Monday, the council voted in a special meeting to stop the work here on the roads.

The mayor did not get back to ABC13 for a request for comment.

The fired city secretary is also sending Eyewitness News a statement about her termination:

"My termination as City Secretary was not about performance but retaliation. I raised legitimate concerns about transparency, proper procedures, and the treatment of our City Manager, who was suspended without cause. In the days leading up to my firing, the Mayor and his voting bloc repeatedly bypassed required processes, including failing to properly post agendas and attempting to shut the public out of discussions.

This isn't just about me-it's about protecting the integrity of open government in Prairie View. Decisions that affect our community must follow the law, not political vendettas. I stand with those calling for accountability, and I am exploring all legal remedies to address these violations and restore trust for our citizens."

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