In words spoken by a city official, the mayoral contest could get "dicey."

Former mayor A.W. Hines left office early on Aug. 1. His regular term ends in May. Hines said he was moving out of Bullard to be close to his family. And since then, a contest for mayor has begun to snowball into a battle for public office.

Hines told the Bullard Banner News in June that city councilman Rodger Johnson would be the next mayor of Bullard. Although it is uncertain if Johnson will officially become the next mayor.

He could by default.

The City could go down several avenues, but it is unclear which one will happen during the Aug. 12 regular meeting.

Mayor Pro Tempore Rodger Johnson could be nominated only to find that he does not have enough votes to be the next mayor. Or by law the counsel can nominated and authorize a new mayor from outside the circle of the counsel, or they can vote not to fill the mayoral position until May, when A.W. Hines term is officially up. Or the counsel can hold a special election.

Will the mayor pro tempore be mayor?

Bullard Mayor Pro Tempore Rodger Johnson has been endorsed by a city council woman Pam Frederick as mayor, a position that is vacant after A.W. Hines resigned from the post early on Aug. 1.

Just because Johnson has been endorsed and holds the mayor pro temp position does not mean he is a shoe in to the mayor spot. Johnson's election as mayor might not happen because of a recent split in the counsel.

In May, Council woman Stacey Thompson nominated Council woman Teresa Adams- Wilks as the mayor pro tempore, but Wilks did not receive a second on the motion, which was needed for her to be considered.

Pam Frederick, Rodger Johnson and Lindsey Bradley did not give the second. Johnson then was nominated and remained the mayor pro tempore.

If this split continues- between Thompson and Wilks and the rest of the members- then action on a new mayor could be halted in the city council meeting Aug. 12. Thompson has been outspoken saying she would rather vote for Wilks than Johnson as mayor. According to state law, a candidate for mayor cannot vote for him or herself. Since Johnson cannot vote for himself the votes would be two for and two against Roger Johnson, assuming Wilks would vote against Johnson.

"They need a majority vote for mayor," City Attorney Charles Morton had said in a previous interview.

But the council can vote to take no action on the mayor. According to the Texas Municipal League this is common practice among cities.

"Many cities do no have a mayor right now," said Bennett Sandlin, general council for the league.

Special Election

Former mayor Connie Vaughan said he can since Bullard citizens are uneasy and predicted to the Bullard Banner News that a special election might be coming.

"From what I am hearing from citizens on the street, I'm getting an idea that there will be a strong possibility of a special election," Vaughan said.

State law allows a group of 26 citizens to call a special election by signing and filing a petition with the county. But according to Sandlin, the law is not on the citizens' side. He said that the special election clause in state law can only be used in cases when the council is practically paralyzed.

"We interpret," Sandlin said, "that it's really used when the counsel cannot act because they do not even have a majority to vote."

City Councilwoman Pam Frederick said she does not think there should be a special election in November. She said it would be a waste of taxpayers' money to pay for an election so close to the end of Mayor Hines' term. At the end of Hines' term in May, there would be another election.

"That's not fair," Frederick said. "I think we (the counsel) should make the decision together, but we're all going to do what is best for our city."

Council woman Stacey Thompson disagrees. Thompson said if the counsel cannot agree then there should be a special election.

Thompson said the cost for a special election is $4,000 and she asked the city financer if there was money in the next budget for it. She said there is.

"If the city can afford an Eagle Bluff membership; we can afford a special election needed to elect a mayor," she said.

Former mayor John Lofton and former counsel member Gerald Jessup both questioned why a special election should be called. They both said in separate interviews that the more natural choice would be to allow the mayor pro tempore to take over the position.