Farmersville Council Ousts Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem in 3-2 Vote

The Farmersville City Council voted 3-2 on July 20 to remove Tina Hernandez from her position as mayor and Araceli Ochoa from her role as mayor pro tem, replacing them with Paul Boyer as mayor and Danny Valdovinos as mayor pro tem.

The vote came after weeks of conflict over how much authority the mayor’s position carries in Farmersville’s council-manager system, where the mayor presides over meetings but holds no more power than any other council member. Boyer and Councilmember Greg Gomez accused Hernandez and Ochoa of exceeding that role. Hernandez and Ochoa defended their hands-on approach as diligence, not overreach.

The crowd that showed up was so large city staff moved the meeting from city hall to the Boys and Girls Club. Supporters held signs reading “I stand with Hernandez” and “R U afraid of girls?” Several spoke during public comment about improvements they’d seen under Hernandez and Ochoa’s leadership — better-maintained parks, streamlined housing developments, increased accountability at city hall.

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Boyer, who has served on the council for roughly 25 years, said this was the first time he believed reorganizing leadership between elections was necessary. He pointed to delayed agenda items, including a four-month debate over a $1,300 sports donation, and a special meeting called in March without his knowledge when the council knew he would be out of town.

“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.”

Gomez cited the city’s $16 million wastewater treatment plant debt, the lack of an adopted budget since July 1, and what he described as inadequate fiscal oversight. 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 didn’t elaborate.

Hernandez rejected the accusations, saying no one had told her before that she was exceeding her role. She said former city managers routinely included her on staff email chains and encouraged her input. “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,” she said.

She also said she told City Manager Jay Brock recently, “I don’t trust any of you.” When asked if that was disrespecting staff, Gomez nodded yes.

Ochoa said she believed the move 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 also questioned Brock’s roughly $230,000 salary, which she claimed was comparable to Fresno’s city manager despite Farmersville’s population of around 11,000. (Fresno’s city manager actually makes $328,932 annually.)

Valdovinos appeared uncertain for most of the meeting, saying early on he didn’t know why the reorganization had come up but stressed the need for unity. “It breaks my heart,” he said after casting the deciding vote. “We got to clear our hearts and minds … we need change so we can work together as a team.”

Hernandez responded to the vote by saying, “They made it clear that the public’s vote doesn’t matter.” As people left, several said, “Wait until November.”

The Breakdown

• Farmersville operates under a council-manager system, where the mayor presides over meetings but holds no independent authority — the city manager, hired by the full council, runs day-to-day operations.
• Boyer and Gomez argued Hernandez and Ochoa were acting as though Farmersville had a “strong mayor” system, where the mayor holds executive power to make staffing and policy decisions independently.
• The conflict came to a head at a July 13 meeting when the city attorney brought the council’s handbook up for review, sparking a debate over decorum and authority. Gomez cited a December 2024 meeting where Hernandez called him “boy,” “liar,” and “dirty” during an argument over hiring a city manager.
• Hernandez proposed that Farmersville become a charter city so residents could directly elect the mayor. That motion failed 3-2.
• Gomez then moved to reorganize, nominating Boyer as mayor and Valdovinos as mayor pro tem. That motion passed 3-2.

What This Means for You

The reorganization changes who runs the meetings. All five members were elected by Farmersville voters and remain in office.

The deeper question is what kind of leadership Farmersville voters want. Do you want a council where the mayor actively pushes staff and questions spending, even if that creates friction? Or do you want a mayor who sticks to chairing meetings and leaves oversight to the full council?

The crowd made it clear they’re paying attention — and they’ll remember who voted which way.

What You Can Do

The next regular Farmersville City Council meeting is scheduled for August. Check the city’s website for the date, time, and agenda. Public comment is open to all residents.

If you want to see the city move toward a charter system where residents directly elect the mayor, that would require a ballot measure. Contact the council or attend a meeting to ask that the question be placed before voters.

What to Watch

Gomez requested that the city attorney and city manager review conduct directed toward city employees and return with recommendations at the next regular meeting, including possible penalties for council members who interfere with the city manager’s authority. He also mentioned “potential video footage” regarding the mayor and mayor pro tem’s conduct toward staff, though he didn’t say what it shows or when it might be released.

The real question is whether this reorganization solves the underlying tension or just moves it around. A council split 3-2 on leadership is still a council split 3-2 — the same votes that removed Hernandez and Ochoa are the same votes needed to pass or block any substantive decision going forward.

And there’s this: if the complaint is that Hernandez and Ochoa were too hands-on with staff, what happens when Boyer and Valdovinos are in the same positions? Does the standard stay the same, or does “diligence” suddenly look different depending on who’s doing it? Farmersville voters should watch whether the council’s actual decision-making improves, or whether this was just about who gets to hold the gavel.