Farmersville Council Votes to Replace Mayor Mid-Term After Clash Over Authority

The Farmersville City Council voted 3-2 on July 20 to remove Mayor Tina Hernandez and Mayor Pro Tem Araceli Ochoa from their leadership positions, electing Councilmember Paul Boyer as mayor and Danny Valdovinos as mayor pro tem. The vote came after months of tension over whether Hernandez and Ochoa exceeded the ceremonial role the mayor holds under the city’s council-manager structure.

The special meeting drew a crowd so large that city staff moved it from city hall to the Boys and Girls Club to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend and speak. Valdovinos, who cast the deciding vote alongside Gomez and Boyer, said, “It breaks my heart. We got to clear our hearts and minds … we need change so we can work together as a team.”

Boyer, who said he has served on the council for roughly 25 years, told the audience it was the first time during his tenure that he believed reorganizing the council between elections was necessary. He argued Hernandez and Ochoa have been operating as if Farmersville has a strong mayor form of government despite the city operating under a council-manager system, in which the mayor serves largely as a ceremonial figurehead with no more authority than any other council member.

“We need a mayor like the school board house president to chair our meetings, maintain decorum, including for herself and ensure participation, but not take sides through public comment, which has happened,” Boyer said. “But we don’t need someone in the mayor or mayor pro tem roles to manipulate or try to influence others in ways that exceed their authority.”

Councilmember Greg Gomez, who initiated the reorganization process at a July 13 meeting, cited what he described as a pattern of disrespectful treatment from the dais, including being interrupted and subjected to personal attacks. Among the examples discussed was a December 2024 council meeting in which Hernandez referred to Gomez as “boy,” “liar” and “dirty” during a heated exchange over the hiring of then-City Manager Michael Schulte.

Gomez also pointed to the city’s approximately $16 million wastewater treatment plant debt, the lack of an adopted budget since July 1, and what he described as a four-month debate over a $1,300 sports donation as examples of inadequate fiscal oversight. He requested that the city attorney and city manager review conduct directed toward city employees and return with recommendations at the next regular meeting.

Hernandez rejected the allegations, saying no one had previously told her she was exceeding her role. She said former city managers routinely included her on staff email chains and encouraged her input, adding that her regular presence at city hall reflected diligence rather than interference.

“When Mr. Boyer had said … I’m a little bit too much, I am. Because I’ve lived here since I was 5 … Seeing this city look like crap for all these years, it’s not okay,” Hernandez said.

She also said, “I told Jay (City Manager Jay Brock) the other day when I went to his office, I said ‘I don’t trust any of you.’ Is that disrespecting staff?” To which Gomez nodded affirmatively.

Ochoa pushed back against the criticisms, framing her scrutiny of staff as diligence rather than disrespect. She said she believed the move to reorganize was motivated by sexism. “You have two strong women in leadership, and I feel like we’re going back to the ’60s when women (were) trying two times, three times it’s hard to be in this leadership position,” she said.

She questioned City Manager Jay Brock’s roughly $230,000 salary, which she claimed is comparable to Fresno’s city manager salary despite Farmersville’s population of around 11,000. However, according to the city of Fresno’s website, the city manager of Fresno makes $328,932 annually. Hernandez clarified that all five council members approved Brock’s contract, though they asked for comparables to make sure the rate was appropriate for a town of their size but never received it.

Members of the crowd repeatedly shouted comments in support of Hernandez, with several attendees openly threatening to vote out the other council members come election season. Multiple people speaking in support of Hernandez called for a strong mayor system that would allow the people to elect the mayor into office. Others noted improvements they have seen in the community under Hernandez and Ochoa’s time as mayor and vice mayor, including better maintained parks, streamlined housing developments, and increased accountability at city hall.

Not everyone at the meeting supported Hernandez and Ochoa. School board member Alice Lopez cited concerns about comments made publicly by Ochoa, including a remark that someone had “shown their true colors” at a past meeting. Other attendees brought up Gomez’s 2016 domestic battery arrest, which they said makes him unfit to serve on city council.

Following public comment, Hernandez moved that she and Ochoa remain in their leadership positions while also proposing that Farmersville begin the process of becoming a charter city so residents could directly elect the mayor. Ochoa seconded the motion, but it failed on a 3-2 vote.

Gomez then moved to reorganize the council, nominating Boyer as mayor and Valdovinos as mayor pro tem. The motion passed 3-2, officially appointing Boyer as mayor and Valdovinos as mayor pro tem.

Hernandez responded to the vote by saying “They made it clear that the public’s vote doesn’t matter.” As people were leaving the building they made comments in support of Hernandez and called out things like “wait until November.”

The Breakdown

• Under Farmersville’s council-manager structure, the mayor serves largely as a ceremonial figurehead — presiding over meetings to keep decorum with no more authority than any other council member. A professional city manager, hired by and accountable to the full council, oversees daily operations and directs staff.
• That differs from a “strong mayor” system, in which the mayor is directly elected by voters and holds independent executive authority, including the power to make certain staffing and policy decisions without requiring approval from the rest of the council.
• Boyer and Gomez argued Hernandez and Ochoa have been operating as if Farmersville has a strong mayor form of government, citing routine agenda items delayed unnecessarily and a special council meeting called in March without Boyer’s knowledge when they knew he would be out of town.
• Ochoa said she believed the move to reorganize was motivated by sexism.
• The vote to reorganize passed 3-2, with Valdovinos casting the deciding vote alongside Gomez and Boyer. Hernandez and Ochoa voted against it.

What This Means for You

Farmersville voters elected these five people to the city council, but they didn’t elect anyone to be mayor — under the city’s current structure, the council picks its own mayor from among its members. That means three council members can change who runs the meetings without asking voters, as long as they have the votes. The real question for a voter is whether the job of mayor should be chosen by the people or by the council itself — and whether a mayor should be a meeting chair or an actual executive. That’s a decision Farmersville voters could be asked to weigh in on directly if the city moves forward with Hernandez’s proposal to become a charter city and adopt a strong mayor system, which would require a ballot measure.

What You Can Do

The next regular Farmersville City Council meeting is scheduled to take place at Farmersville City Hall. Public comment periods are held during council meetings, and agendas are posted in advance. Gomez requested that an item be placed on a future agenda to discuss recording city council meetings, which would make it easier for the public to review what’s said.

What to Watch

Hernandez proposed that Farmersville begin the process of becoming a charter city so residents could directly elect the mayor — a proposal that failed 3-2 in the same vote. If that idea comes back, it would require a ballot measure, and voters would decide directly whether they want to elect their own mayor or leave it to the council. The underlying question is whether Farmersville voters trust the council to pick its own leader, or whether they want that power for themselves.

The other tension worth watching: Gomez requested that the city attorney and city manager review conduct directed toward city employees and return with recommendations at the next regular meeting, along with possible penalties for council members who interfere with the city manager’s authority. He also said he understood there was “potential video footage that needs to be shared with the public” regarding conduct by the mayor and mayor pro tem toward city staff, though he did not elaborate on its contents or origin. If that footage surfaces, or if the city attorney returns with findings, it would clarify whether the concerns raised about Hernandez and Ochoa’s conduct were justified or whether this was a power struggle dressed up as a procedural dispute.