GALENA PARK, Texas If the mayor of Galena Park wants a fight, she s got one.
That s the message after she fired everyone from the police chief to the city administrator.
In Galena Park, the keys to the city keep changing, literally.
For the second day in a row, workers were switching out the locks at city hall. This time supporters of city administrator Robert Pruett called in locksmiths to work on his office after the mayor tried to fire him and changed the locks on the building.
She does not have the authority to fire him nor does she have the authority to fire the city attorney, nor can she fire the chief of police, Lois Killough, Galena Park city commissioner, said.
But Esmerelda Moya says as the newly elected mayor she can fire whomever she wants. She s asking the head of the police department, the city attorney and city administrator to leave.
I just want the right people in the city government, she said.
Pruett wasn t at his office Thursday morning. The mayor claims he s telling city staff not to work with her and that he told police not to respond when she called for help.
It s a sad day for the city, the police department and the citizens. Thank you very much, Jonathan Rader, Galena Park police chief, said.
In a closed door meeting this Monday, city leaders will discuss this issue, but both sides say it could end up in court. Until then, it s not clear exactly who is running things at the city.
