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Possible sanctions against Council Member Jeff Flowers were only one point of contention at a tense Bandera City Council meeting, where members also debated questions surrounding the city's finances and restrictions on access to City Hall.
After obtaining two years' worth of city credit card statements, Council Member Deanna McCabe cited what she described as several financial concerns during the June 23 meeting.
“Last year we spent over $25,000 with Amazon,” McCabe said. “And I’m looking at some of those Amazon charges, and I am wondering if we could sort of have policy to where we could shop local first.”
City Secretary Jill Dickerson stated that the city did shop locally, citing purchases at Boyle’s Bandera Hardware and Hevenor Lumber & Hardware.
“A lot of that Amazon stuff is for public works that they need and that they get better prices on,” Dickerson stated.
But McCabe argued that local businesses should be consulted first before the city purchased items on Amazon.
“I also know that there are some companies in town that will [price] match,” McCabe said. “Even if we did get a quarter of that [$25,000], I’d love to see that.”
McCabe also questioned 2025 expenditures for employee food and beverages, stating that the purchases were recorded under the city's 'general supply' budget category.
“We spent over $3,500 on the credit card for food and drinks for employees,” McCabe said. “Strangely, they were either categorized as general supplies, travel and lodging, or employee appreciation.”
Council member Debbie Breen questioned Mayor Denise Griffin on the purchases, noting that it was Griffin who had signed off on the transactions.
“You were okay with all the employee appreciation? I am not going to say daily, but definitely weekly employee appreciation,” Breen said. “I mean, there’s coffee in the mornings, there’s pizza at lunch.”
Griffin asked for specific examples but ultimately stated that she was “probably not okay” with all the purchases.
McCabe and Breen stated that the reason for the insight into finances came from concern over financial responsibility.
“I want to look at some cost savings,” Breen said, adding a request for the future to see 2026’s credit card statements.
The council later moved on to access to City Hall, which became a heated debate. Council members Breen, McCabe, and Tammy Morrow alleged the city staff – including Dickerson, permitting clerk Jaki Perkins, administrative assistant Stephanie Biggs, and Griffin had created an environment that “discouraged” council members visiting City Hall.
McCabe and Breen expressed frustration that, during the six months Jill Dickerson served as interim city administrator, they were required to state the purpose of their visits to City Hall to staff members Perkins and Biggs before being granted entry.
They also stated they had never been informed that the restriction stemmed from a lack of Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) certification, which was required for unescorted access.
“This is my agenda item, and this has kind of been a struggle since we were elected,” McCabe said. “This is the first time I’ve heard of the CJIS.”
Breen cited an occasion where she had come to City Hall without an appointment, and alleged Griffin threatened to contact the Marshal’s office if she did so again.
“This particular council is very hostile about even coming in, to the point that I was told that if I did it – came in again – they would have the Marshal see me out,” Breen stated.
But when questioned on the restricted policy – which city councils in Kerrville, Boerne, and Fair Oaks Ranch do not follow – Griffin could not explain the reasoning.
“I don’t have an answer for you,” Griffin said.
City Administrator Toni Kunz offered an explanation, citing her onboarding process on the first of June.
“I don’t know why this wasn’t brought up before,” Kunz said. “Because my day one is if you want to be unescorted here, then this is what you need to take.”
In a statement to The Bulletin, Kunz said there was confusion after learning Griffin had not disclosed that she also lacked the certification. The matter has drawn scrutiny, as Griffin has a door code and unescorted access to City Hall, unlike other council members.
City Attorney Matt Groves then stated that for access, the CJIS certification was federal law, as City Hall also housed the Marshal’s office, which contains sensitive records.
The Bulletin sent an inquiry to Griffin to clarify if she had broken federal law by having unescorted access to City Hall. Griffin provided the following statement: “The point that was being made by the City Attorney is that any person that accesses Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) must comply with federal and state law as prescribed by the rules adopted by the FBI. As stated in the meeting, I have never accessed any CJIS records nor requested access to CJIS records. While there is a CJIS requirement for unescorted access. I have not been unescorted in the Marshall’s Office or Municipal Court. However, after consulting with the Marshall, I will be doing the certification in the event that my duties ever require unescorted access or access to CJIS records.”
Kunz stated that she would work with the council to gain access.
This is a developing story. For the latest on Bandera City Council, visit BanderaBulletin. com.
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