Stausing Resigns As WT Mayor

"I have never had any dealings of this type ever," West Tawakoni Mayor Bill Stausing told an overflowing crowd at city hall Tuesday night.

"I was blindsighted. I feel I will be exonerated on all of this, but it will be expensive and time consuming. The only thing I can think of is that it’s election year."

Stausing was arrested Thursday and charged with organized crime.

The mayor told the crowd that the incident had caused pain not only to himself but to the City of West Tawakoni.

He said he had worked over his past two terms to better the city. "All of that was wiped out in 15 seconds," Stausing said.

He said because of the bad publicity that the incident had brought to the city, he would tender his letter of resignation later in the week with the city secretary.

Stausing made the comments after the council reopened the meeting from a closed executive session that continued for almost three hours.

The council had been charged with considering a contract for Police Chief Jack Schultz as well as consideration of the charge against the mayor.

Councilman Pete Yoho who is also mayor protem will assume the duties of mayor until the city election in May.

"We appreciate everything you have done for the city," Yoho said to Mayor Stausing.

Yoho said "if you look back two terms ago," and consider what had happened since that time, "Bill brought the city into the 21st century."

He said, "We will continue to support Bill in whatever he does in the future. We want you to know how much we appreciate all you have done for the city."

After the meeting, Stausing told The Quinlan-Tawakoni News that every penny in his bank account could be accounted for on a W-4 income reporting form.

"I’m on a fixed income. How am I going to pay for this?" the 60-year-old Stausing said of the legal costs he would incur in defending himself against the charge.

He said his income was from Social Security disability. He is a bladder cancer survivor and suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

Stausing said he would tender his letter of resignation but that it would have to be presented to the city before it became effective.

Stausing’s position was up for reelection May 10. Filing for candidates opens Feb. 9 and closes March 4.