Crowd Overflows City Hall To Support Schultz’s Contract

"I am heartened by the community support," West Tawakoni Chief of Police Jack Schultz said Tuesday night.

Looking at a crowd that spilled into the hallway, Schultz made the statement to The Quinlan-Tawakoni News.

That was after several in the audience spoke passionately in support of the police chief before the council retired to a closed executive session to discuss his contract.

When the council returned and reopened the meeting to the public, Mayor Bill Stausing announced the council had made some changes while in the closed meeting from the original contract and had "come up with an instrument we think will be beneficial to both parties."

He said the contract would be presented to Schultz later in the week.

The council considered Schultz’ contract along with a charge against Stausing in the closed session that continued for almost three hours. See related story. Most the crowd remained throughout the closed session.

The council terminated Schultz’ contract last week and promised to prepare a new one while praising him for the performance of his duties.

Schultz told The News that he had not seen the revised contract and did not know what provisions were in debate.

When asked what he wanted in the contract, Schultz said, "I’m wanting what I’ve had."

He said he had previously served under five-year contracts that were renewed each five years.

Former councilman Bob Dobson spoke first during citizens comments.

Dobson praised Schultz’ performance of his duties and said he was one of the finest that had served.

He said the position of chief of police was political and that he served at the desire of the officials in office at the time.

Dobson said it was a job security issue and appealed to the council to keep that in mind when they considered his contract.

"No one should have to work under those conditions," he said.

JoAnn Yoho told the council, "Jack Schultz has done an outstanding job for West Tawakoni. There should be no reservation on your part to offer a contract for the period of time he chooses to serve."

She said Schultz devoted his time to the community and community projects outside his official duties and said his work warranted additional time on his contract.

Gerald Rosebure said he had lived in West Tawakoni for 20 years and had visited long before.

"One of the things that’s amazing in West Tawakoni is the police department," he said.

Rosebure said there had been a time that if you got up and the tires were still on your car, you were in good shape.

He credited Schultz with changing that and recounted the chief’s success in his educational and professional careers including the fact that Schultz was the valedictorian of his academy class.

He said Schultz had staffed the police department with good men and that he had earned the respect of the citizens that lived in West Tawakoni.

"When Jack Schultz tells you something, it’s going to be the same tomorrow and two weeks from now," Rosebure said.

He recommended that the council extend to Schultz the contract he wanted.

Former councilman Bill McKey said he had lived in the city for 20 years.

"When we moved down here, it was kind of embarrassing to tell where you were from," he said.

McKey said that while other police chiefs had been sent to the penitentiary, Schultz had given the city the best. "We have the best right now," he said.

"I have set on this council. I know how the system works," he said. But he said the council’s action last week to terminate the chief’s contract "was a real slap in the face."

McKey said, "If ya’ll take one thing away from him, you should be ashamed. You mishandled this. You made a bad mistake."

He went on to say, "Jack takes pride in you. If we say something about you, Jack sets us straight."

He said he hoped the council would present Schultz with a contract he could sign and be proud of.

In answering the speakers before the closed session, Mayor Stausing said the council had proven in the past that it would listen to the citizens.