San Antonio City Councilman Greg Brockhouse is again blasting City Manager Sheryl Sculley and calling for her resignation, claiming they intentionally 'leaked' an internal document about District 2 City Council hopeful Dereck Hillyer to what he called a 'sympathetic reporter' who she knew would write a 'hit piece' and damage Hillyer's chances of being appointed to City Council, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Brockhouse said Sculley wants to keep Hillyer off City Council because he is a firefighter and a member of the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association, which pushed the charter amendments last fall that included a measure to limit the pay and tenure of Sculley's successor. Shortly after the amendment was approved by voters, Sculley announced her retirement.
"Purely because he is a firefighter, he supported the charter amendments, and you don't have to go too far to get to the conclusion," Brockhouse said.
Brockhouse said Sculley should be suspended for 'abusing' the city's public information process, and the decision on a successor of District 2 Councilman Cruz Shaw, who resigned last month after being appointed an associate district judge, should be delayed while the issue is investigated.
Brockhouse says Sculley 'has a relationship' with the reporter, Robert Rivard, who runs the on line 'Rivard Report' and is a former editor of the San Antonio Express-News.
"I think the City Manager should be held accountable for releasing information and causing problems in an appointment process," Brockhouse said.
Brockhouse is a strong ally and former contract adviser to the SAPFFA. the SAPFFA President, Chris Steele, referred to Brockhouse as 'our guy' in a secretly recorded talk to union members that was leaked to the media during the campaign.
Brockhouse says he has nothing against city officials leaking material to the media, but he says in this case, other news organizations had also requested a copy of he material Sculley provided to Rivard, and they had not received the material. He says Sculley gave the document, which indicated 'suspensions,' deficiencies,' and 'absences without leave' in Hillyer's firefighter personnel record, specificially because she knew that Rivard would use it to write a 'hit piece' about Hillyer.
The City says there was nothing improper about the fact that the information was released, and who it was relased to.
“The media requested and received factually releasable information about a City employee," City Spokesman Jeff Coyle said
.In an e-mail from City Attorney Andy Segovia to Brockhouse, which was obtained by 1200 WOAI news through another Freedom of Information request, confirms that "The one page summary contains only public releasable information." The e-mail states that other reporters who requested the information also received it.
Brockhouse has repeatedly criticized Sculley. He is believed to be considering a run for mayor in the May city election.
PHOTO: Councilman Greg Brockhouse talks with reporters about release of city documents