Former Code Enforcement Officer’s Family Alleges Misconduct in Termination, Challenges Certification Claims
Former code enforcement officer Jon Davis’s wife and daughter delivered a series of allegations against former city administrator Jill Dickerson during the public comment portion of last Tuesday’s city council meeting, challenging the circumstances surrounding Davis’s termination and accusing city leadership of misconduct.
Davis’s wife, Stephanie, and daughter, Fiona, addressed the council and read a prepared statement criticizing Dickerson, who terminated Davis several months ago.
Among their concerns was an alleged statement by Dickerson that the city had been named in three lawsuits because Davis lacked the required certifications for commercial inspections.
“That woman stated that the city had been hit with three lawsuits because he was only certified in home, not commercial inspections,” Fiona Davis told the council.
Both Fiona and Stephanie disputed that claim, stating that Davis had been working toward commercial certifications and had spent time with City Marshal Earl Heidelberg on related coursework late last year.
In addition to challenging the certification issue, the family accused Dickerson of procedural misconduct during the termination process. Stephanie Davis alleged that her husband was called into a meeting regarding his employment without a third-party representative present because Dickerson simultaneously served as city secretary, city manager, human resources administrator and Davis’s direct supervisor. However, there is a dispute over whether Dickerson remained Davis’s supervisor at the time of the termination in March 2026.
“Effective December 2025, Jon answered directly to the city council and no longer fell under city administration,” Stephanie Davis said. “He had no idea. There was no verbal announcement, no email, nothing sent by your city secretary who does HR.”
According to Stephanie Davis, it was only after her insistence that her husband requested a formal termination letter. While awaiting the document, both she and Jon Davis said Heidelberg encouraged him to remain in his position. However, Dickerson later delivered a termination letter stating Davis was performing duties associated with the positions of building inspector and code enforcement officer without maintaining certifications required by the State of Texas.
The letter further alleged Davis refused to contact the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to obtain the necessary certifications.
Davis disputed the assertions in the letter and expressed frustration that Heidelberg did not speak during the meeting to confirm he had completed commercial inspection coursework.
“Earl was responsible for filing my coursework with TDLR,” Davis said. “But he didn’t say anything during that meeting.”
Davis also criticized city attorney Matt Groves, claiming the attorney would only communicate with Dickerson despite Davis being a city employee at the time.
“I am his client, too,” Davis said. “He should have been able to advise me of my rights.”
According to Davis, tensions with Dickerson increased after former city administrator Stan Farmer allegedly suggested he pursue the city administrator position upon Farmer’s departure.
“What really set it off was when Stan was leaving and told me to my face, with her hearing, that I should go for city admin because I’m overqualified for it,” Davis said. “But I didn’t want to. I just wanted to do code enforcement.”
Davis further alleged that several initiatives he developed during his employment were never presented to the city council. Among them were proposals for a revamped horse trail system, a plan to address feral cat populations within the city and county, and a standard operating procedure for the code enforcement department.
“I even wrote the SOP for code enforcement because there isn’t one,” Davis said.
Regarding the alleged lawsuits Dickerson reportedly referenced, Davis said he was never provided details or documentation concerning the claims.
Stephanie Davis said she plans to file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after Davis’s unemployment benefits request was denied. During the meeting, she also encouraged residents who had heard allegations that Davis was unlicensed to contact him directly. However, the audio on the city’s YouTube recording cuts out when she begins reading Davis’s cellphone number and resumes immediately after she finishes.
The Texas Municipal League states that “in Texas, city councils are generally expected to provide complete, unedited recordings of public meetings to comply with transparency requirements, but they have discretion regarding certain aspects of video management and executive sessions.”
Dickerson, Mayor Denise Griffin and Heidelberg did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the allegations.
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