Council appoints second interim marshal

Editor's Note: A quote was mistakenly attributed to Jeff Flowers instead of Tony Battle. The Bulletin apologizes for the error and has made a correction.  

Deputy Earl Heidelberg was appointed in a 3-2 vote on Feb. 16 as the new Interim Bandera City Marshal, taking over for Rusty Pancoast, whose agreement with the city ended on the 16th.

Pancoast was appointed last December after Marshal Will Dietrich’s employment was terminated.  

Heidelberg, who has worked for the City since June 2013, currently serves as both a deputy and code enforcement officer.

During Feb. 16’s special meeting of the Bandera City Council, City Administrator William Cox said an interim marshal was still needed until the position could be filled permanently.

“We have to have an appointed marshal for the position. I don’t know what that timeline looks like. I assume it will be less than a couple months,” said Cox.

Cox recommended Deputy Brandon Teer for to the Council, as Teer had agreed to take on the position.

Councilwoman Lynn Palmer motioned to appoint Heidelberg, and Councilwoman Christine Morse seconded the motion.

Neither Heidelberg nor Teer were present at the meeting to speak.

“Earl has stepped up when things were not good with Will [Dietrich]. He took over the Marshal’s office and made sure everything was running smoothly,” said Palmer, who added Heidelberg is also training new deputies and understands the department due to his 10 years of service.

Palmer said she and Heidelberg believe there is a higher pay rate for the interim position.

Cox reminded the council that Pancoast had previously presented this offer to Heidelberg and he declined.

Councilman Jeff Flowers responded, “My concern is that he turned it down and now wants to do it knowing there’s a pay increase, rather than doing it for the sake of the city and the department.”

“I don’t agree,” said Palmer, adding the city should give Heidelberg back pay for all the time he has filled in in the past.

Councilman Tony Battle said he believed Heidelberg was frustrated because he felt like his personal application for the fulltime position was not moving forward.  

“Since Earl has stepped up in the past, he has requisite experience, which is a good thing. I’ve had a couple conversations with him,” said Battle. “I personally think that Earl should move forward in that process. I support him moving forward as interim as long as at this point he feels willing to do so.”

Following discussion, Palmer said she communicated with Heidelberg before the meeting and that he told her he was interested in serving as interim marshal.

Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Russe stated he did not think council members should approach city employees directly and should go through department heads.

Russe, in Mayor Rebeca Gibson’s absence, took a vote, and the council voted 3-2 to appoint Heidelberg. Palmer, Morse and Battle voted for; Flowers and Russe voted against.

At the same special meeting in closed session, the advisory committee formed in January to vet and score the original 10-11 applicants to the full-time position presented their two applicant recommendations to the council.

City representatives say they will interview the two applicants on Feb. 21 and 23.

Heidelberg did not return the Bulletin's request for comment.