A Texas city has been thrown into chaos following a contentious mayoral election, with some claiming it remains unclear who is now in charge.
Election Results and Immediate Aftermath
Oscar Mireles narrowly beat incumbent Esmeralda Moya to serve as the next mayor of Galena Park by just 132 votes on Saturday. However, when Mireles went to city hall on Monday to discuss the next steps, he said he learned that the city secretary abruptly resigned after serving more than two decades in the city of about 10,000 people, according to Click 2 Houston.
The city secretary had earlier sent Mireles an email stating that the election cannot be officially canvassed until all provisional ballots and other outstanding ballots are received, as required under Texas law. Her sudden resignation has now left Mireles uncertain of how the process to take over as mayor will proceed.
'We're just stuck,' he said. 'We're waiting on the state to tell us what we need to do next.'
Facebook Video and Allegations
Tensions escalated when Mireles posted a live video to Facebook showing the mayor and her ex-husband taking bags of items from city hall and loading them into a black pickup truck. 'I saw them take out one computer tower,' Mireles claimed. 'My wife saw that they had a bag with documents in it.'
Galena Park police officers responded to the scene on Tuesday, but one officer could be heard telling Mireles he could not intervene because they could be taking personal items. Mireles now says he is not accusing anyone of wrongdoing but said the lack of communication has raised concerns among residents. 'I understand you have personal belongings, I don't have a problem with that,' Mireles said. 'But it's just a lack of communication.'
Some residents have even asked state officials to intervene, according to Fox 26.
Incumbent Mayor's Response
Moya, who has served as mayor since 2014, denied any wrongdoing. 'There has been a great deal of false and misleading information circulating about me and others connected to the City of Galena Park,' she said in a statement. 'Over the past several days, certain media outlets and individuals on social media have continued to spread one-sided stories, rumors and accusations without presenting the full truth. Hearing only one side of a story does not make it factual.'
Moya hit out at Mireles for making what she described as fake accusations, including that documents are being destroyed, city property is being seized and that 'no one is currently in charge of the city.' She stated, 'This is also untrue, as I remain in office and continue serving as Mayor until the Mayor-Elect is officially sworn in next Wednesday.'
She further said that the city secretary is still employed but her final day will be Friday. 'Her decision to leave was personal and based on the ongoing treatment, bullying and disrespect she has experienced over the past three years from the Mayor-Elect,' Moya claimed, adding that 'other city employees have also chosen to leave for similar reasons.'
Moya also noted that despite public accusations, there have been communications asking her to remain and work for the incoming administration, which 'directly contradicts many of the public claims and rumors currently being spread online.' She argued that 'allegations that the Mayor has abandoned the city or engaged in illegal activity are false and irresponsible.'
'Public officials and media outlets have a responsibility to report accurate information, not rumors designed to create division and confusion within the community,' Moya concluded. 'We encourage the public to seek facts directly from the individuals being unfairly accused, rather than relying solely on social media speculation.' She asked for 'fairness, honesty and respect for all individuals involved,' noting that 'false accusations can seriously damage reputations, families and the trust within our community.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to Mireles and Moya for comment.
