Longtime La Feria City Manager Terminated

Community Attends in Record Numbers to Voice Support for Sunny K. Philip During Latest City Commission Meeting

The La Feria City Commission held its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room at 115 E. Commercial Avenue in La Feria.

After observing the invocation, pledge, determining quorum present, and call to order Mayor Olga H. Maldonado opened the floor for public comments.

The City Commission Meeting Room was standing room only that night as the community attended the meeting in record numbers in support of City Manager Sunny K. Philip whose performance and employment were up for review by the City Commission. Prior to the city meeting members of the Methodist Church of La Feria held a prayer meeting in support of Philip, who is a parishioner at the church. Most of the public comments were made by residents who had come out in support of Philips, appealing to the commission to reconsider their course of action.

Earlier in June Mayor Pro Tem Esmeralda Lozano and Commissioner Julian Guevara Jr. included items on the city commission’s agenda to “deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal” of Philip.

Sunny K. Philip began his career with the City of La Feria in 1983 as the Finance Director for the city. He served in that position until 1993 when he was appointed City Manager. As the City Manager, Sunny managed all administrative and operational functions of the City. Philip was also appointed General Manager of the La Feria Waterworks System, the Executive Director of the La Feria Industrial Development Corporation, the Executive Director of the La Feria Economic Development Corporation, and in the last four years or so he has also taken on the challenge of Executive Director of two non-profit entities: the South Texas Collaborative for Housing Development, Inc. and the South Texas Emerging Markets Development Fund, Inc.

Prior to moving to La Feria, Sunny lived in Kerala, India. He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration, 1982; and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, 1978, both from the University of Kerala, India.

“Although I have offered to continue work for the city, the commission, within their right, opted to go into a new direction.”

After approving the legal services of Denton, Navarro, Rocha, Hyde, and Zech, a law firm that represents government bodies and public agencies throughout Texas, at the commission meeting on June 14th, the evaluation was led by attorney Rick Navarro who was present at the July 12th meeting to provide council during the two closed executive sessions that the commission attended that night.

After public comments were closed, the commission hastily approved minutes for two past meetings before going into the first closed meeting to receive legal advice and counsel with Mr. Navarro regarding appropriate process and procedure for conducting a performance evaluation of the city manager. The closed session lasted less than 45 minutes.

Upon their return to the commission room the City Commission then went into their second scheduled closed meeting to deliberate the final decision as a result of the evaluation. The commission would remain in closed session for three and a half hours beginning at 7:38 p.m. Because the action being considered was a personnel matter it was automatically deemed a closed session matter unless specifically requested by the employee being audited.

Community members and city staff waited as patiently as could be expected as the minutes and hours dragged by and those in attendance awaited the commission’s return. At one point the city secretary offered bottled water and later coffee to those in attendance, though the crowd began to dwindle as the hour grew late and many could not remain and wait any longer. By the time the city commission re-emerged at 11:07 p.m. almost half the attendees were still present when Commissioner Lozano made the motion for the immediate termination of City Manager Sunny K. Philip, seconded by Commissioner Guevara and unanimously voted on by the commission.

After the vote Commissioner Victor Gonzalez, Jr. motioned to table the rest of the agenda items, which was approved and an action for adjournment was made.

When asked for a statement from the city by phone later in the week, city staff, La Feria News was referred to Attorney Rick Navarro who explained that because the proceedings were conducted under a closed session the city was not at liberty to comment on the reasons for Philips dismissal. Navarro also mentioned that there was still pending litigation between the City and Sunny K. Philip in regards to the legality of the city manager’s contract signed in April 1996 by then Mayor Paul Beechner and if it is in violation with the City of La Feria charter provisions and/or Texas Constitutional Provisions.

An Appreciation Celebration honoring Mr. Philip for his 33 years of dedication and service to the City of La Feria was held on Friday evening, July 15th, at 6 p.m. hosted by La Feria First United Methodist Church and held in their Fellowship Hall.

When asked by La Feria News for a statement, Mr. Philips seemed optimistic for the future and eager to continue work with the various non-profits and organizations he’s still connected to in the city.

“I have enjoyed every minute of my work with the city. [I’ve] had the pleasure to work with six different mayors and numerous commissioners and board members.,” he said in an email to La Feria News.

“The policies and ordinances recommended are based on fairness and in the best interest of the community. The people of La Feria are wonderful. Although I have offered to continue work for the city, the commission, within their right, opted to go into a new direction.”

“I wish all the best for the city. I will dearly miss all the hard working employees, volunteers, and policy makers. La Feria is my home and [I] will be around. I want to thank the entire community and those who extended well wishes.”

The next meeting of the La Feria City Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26th at 6:30 p.m. in the City Commission Meeting Room at 115 E. Commercial Avenue in La Feria. The community is welcome to attend and an agenda can usually be downloaded from the city’s website at www.cityoflaferia.com/boards-and-commissions/city-commission/agendas-2016/.