Letter to the editor: Citizens deserve to know why Flower Mound town manager is on leave

by William Behrens

The citizens of Flower Mound have placed their confidence and trust in the council. Don't betray that trust.

Editor’s note: This email was written to the Flower Mound Town Council and published on scntx.com on Wednesday, September 26.

As a resident of Flower Mound for 12 years, former HOA president (two terms), and a neighbor of Harlan Jefferson and his family, I was extremely surprised to read on Sunday morning that after an apparently unscheduled closed session of town council on Saturday, Sept. 22, our town manager had been placed on paid administrative leave.

I was shocked! I have known Mr. Jefferson since moving to Flower Mound in 2000, and as I have served as an HOA President have had the pleasure of working with him from time-to-time. He has always been both responsive to the concerns of our residents and totally professional In our dealings. I was extremely pleased when Harlan was selected to be Town Manager in 2006, and have watched him work long and hard for our town.

Since Sunday I have been trying to get more information about the town council’s action and what actions or malfeasance on Mr. Jefferson’s part might have triggered your action. Unfortunately there is little information published and there have been no postings or information provided on the town’s website and this puzzles me.

Placing an employee on paid administrative leave is a serious matter especially when no reasons are given. It calls into question that person’s integrity and honesty. It casts a cloud over the individual and their family. It can cause a great deal of personal anguish and pain.

From all that I know personally and have read about Mr. Jefferson, he is a person of honor who truly cares about Flower Mound. He works hard. He has ably served at least 3 administrations and received numerous awards and citations for his contributions. If the town council has a serious grievance with Mr. Jefferson then he deserves to be told why this action is being taken … and the citizens and voters of Flower Mound also deserve to know what exactly is going on.

Former Flower Mound Town Manager Harlan Jefferson

If, as it has been suggested in the papers, there is no grievance or problem with Mr. Jefferson’s performance then I would hope, in the interests of fairness, that an apology and reinstatement is in order at the earliest possible time.

I also note that should Mr. Jefferson be terminated that the town could be responsible for a termination payment in excess of $700,000. That amount coupled with the costs of a professional job search and related expenses could end up costing the town (read “taxpayers”) close to $1 million! I don’t think there was any reserve for that in the recently passed 2012-2013 budget and I would urge you to please act cautiously before exposing the town to a financial hit of this magnitude. Sound financial stewardship is especially critical in these difficult times and is always an election topic.

In closing, I must mention that some of the articles I have read have hinted that the actions taken are politically motivated and not in the best of interest of the town and its citizens. I sincerely hope that this is not the case as, if memory serves, several of you ran in the last election on a platform that emphasized “Not Politics.” The citizens of Flower Mound have placed their confidence and trust in the council — please don’t betray that trust by taking an unwarranted action against a just and honorable person whose only desire is to do his best for our Flower Mound.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter and thank you for time and consideration.

William Behrens, Flower Mound