Howe confirms new interim city administrator

HOWE, Texas (KXII) - On Tuesday, the Howe City Council voted to confirm Monte Walker as acting and interim city administrator.

“It’s not a role that I had anticipated or asked for, but when it comes to the citizens of Howe, I’m always going to step up and do what’s best for them,” Walker said. “I was born and raised here. My family dates back here to the 1890s, so we’re well rooted into the city and this town means a lot to me and it always has.”

For the past 9 years, Walker worked as the city’s economic development director and ran the town’s historic newspaper, the Howe Enterprise.

“I wanted to to give Howe their own news source, but more importantly or equally as important, I wanted to for the for the businesses to be able to talk to their citizens,” Walker said.

When Howe’s previous city administrator resigned in August, Howe Mayor Karla McDonald appointed Walker as the interim.

According to council member Sarah Myrick, the decision came after all city council members had left the Aug. 29 meeting.

“Our dispute was that she had not notified us or asked our opinion about what we would do in an interim capacity,” Myrick said.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, some members expressed discontent about how Mayor McDonald handled the appointment.

“When we tried to request to have a special meeting to be able to talk about it openly as quickly as possible, she declined to have that meeting,” Myrick said.

In a statement, Mayor McDonald said that appointing an acting and interim city administrator was important to ensure the city’s general management, and that she exercised her mayoral powers according to the law.

Walker’s appointment is temporary and Howe is still accepting resumes through Sept. 30 for a full-time city administrator.

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