A Texas city is reportedly facing chaos following a mayoral election, with the outgoing mayor now rejecting claims that no one is currently in charge.
Election Results Spark Controversy
Residents of Galena Park, a city of about 10,000 people located outside of Houston, elected Oscar Mireles as their new mayor on May 2. He beat the incumbent mayor, Esmeralda Moya, by about 132 votes in a low-turnout election that saw 1,500 residents casting ballots, according to FOX 26. Since then, there have been claims that no one is in charge, and residents are calling on state officials to weigh in amid the controversy, the local outlet reports.
Outgoing Mayor Responds
The outgoing mayor issued a statement Wednesday addressing what she called a "great deal of false and misleading information" surrounding the election aftermath.
"Following the May 2 election in Galena Park, the Mayor-Elect has made numerous statements on social media accusing me, the City Secretary, and city staff of wrongdoing," Moya told FOX 26.
"These accusations include claims that city documents are being destroyed, city property is being taken, information is being hidden, and that officials are involved in corruption or embezzlement," she added.
The mayor clarified that she will remain in power until Mireles is sworn in next week.
"There have also been false statements claiming that no one is currently in charge of the City. This is also untrue, as I remain in office and continue serving as Mayor until the Mayor-Elect is officially sworn in next Wednesday. These statements are completely false," she said.
City Secretary Resigns
Moya also told FOX 26 that the city secretary has resigned and will leave her role 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. Other city employees have also chosen to leave for similar reasons," she continued.
Mayor-Elect's Perspective
Mireles claims there has been a lack of communication about the transition of power and has noted he is not making any accusations of wrongdoing, according to Click2Houston. The mayor-elect also said he witnessed Moya and another individual removing items from City Hall and putting them into a pickup truck this week.
"I saw them take out one computer tower. My wife saw that they had a bag with documents in it," he told the outlet.
The Independent has contacted Moyas office and Mireles campaign for comment.
