Chelsea L. McGowan

cmcgowan@weatherforddemocrat.com

An unusually contentious mayoral race in one small Parker County city has given rise to serious allegations of violence.

The incumbent mayor of Reno, Granville Martin, has had a long-standing battle with councilwoman Carol Houlihan. Since Houlihan began her highly vocal support of Martin’s challenger for the mayoral seat, Roen Cox, she alleges the mayor has been increasingly violent in his “rantings.”

Martin has been the mayor of Reno for only two years, having unseated the previous mayor during the last election. Houlihan said he initially enjoyed overwhelming support, but has become increasingly unpopular over the last 12 months. She went so far as to accuse Martin of “brow-beating” and intimidating a young city council.

“The guy’s a bully,” she said. “I’ve got recordings of him cussing me out, telling me that if I was a man, he’d kick my (expletive). It sounds shocking, but it’s consistent with his history. He’s got a criminal record that includes assault and indecency with a child. He is an evil, vindictive man.”

A search of criminal records under the name Granville G. Martin III, using a birthdate provided by Martin, shows arrests supporting the allegations of violence. Included are two arrests in 1982 in Lee County for assault, one for aggravated assault of a peace officer.

However, there is no record of any charges pertaining to indecency with a child, although records show Martin was convicted of public lewdness in 1977.

According to Houlihan, Martin has threatened more than just violence against her person. She said that during a confrontation over campaign signs on April 29, Martin threatened to “burn down” and “blow up” City Hall. That allegation is echoed by Cox, who said he fears for his own safety, as well as that of city staff.

“I’m concerned that someone is going to get hurt,” Cox said. “[Martin] is doing anything he wants, completely out of control, in blatant disregard for the will of the council.”

For his part, Martin said any and all allegations of threats are “total fabrication.”

“I”ve never made any threats to the destruction of any property,” Martin said, having been presented with the allegations raised by Houlihan. “I’ve never made any threats against anyone. I’m an old West Texas boy. I won’t start anything, but if someone puts their hands on my person, I’ll defend myself. I have a lot more respect and integrity than either of those people.”

Houlihan provided the Democrat with three recorded phone conflicts she had with Martin, and the expletive-laden conversations seem to prop up Houlihan’s allegations of the mayor’s violent nature.

In one of the conversations, reportedly recorded Dec. 29, 2008, Houlihan argues with Martin about liberties taken by city secretary Robert de Saglio, who she feels is overstepping his bounds. For the first part of the conversation, both parties are civil. However, the confrontation quickly devolves as Martin begins screaming loud enough to distort the recording. The following words could be easily distinguished:

“I’m not gonna be nice to nobody anymore,” he said. “I’m through kissin’ people’s (expletive). The bottom line is, what do I have to lose? I can dish a lot of (expletive) out of that mayor’s seat, and what are they going to do to me? When I’ve had all the (expletive) kissin’ I want, then I’ll start kickin’ (expletive). And that’s where I’m at. Don’t you (expletive) with me ... I’m tired of you.”

When asked to defend his specific language on the recordings, Martin did not respond to the Democrat’s request for comment. He did, however, say that Houlihan and Cox were “out to get” him in a political battle.

“It’s typical,” Martin said. “That’s the way they are. Carol has no decorum and no respect. There’s nothing I can do about it as mayor except call her down, and when I call her down, she gets upset. She’s good for making lots of false allegations. This is nothing but an attempt to unseat me.”

Cox said he believes the entire confrontation can be traced back to campaign signs. He reported the major incidents he’s been involved with in regards to Martin have all dealt with the placement of his signs as he campaigns against Martin for the mayoral seat.

“I am the chairman of the Planning and Zoning board, and I know what the ordinances are when it comes to placement of campaign signs,” Cox said. “My signs all followed the strictest city and TxDOT guidelines. What it comes down to is theft. This is my property, signs that I paid more than $2,000 for, and my freedom of speech.”

Martin claims any campaign signs removed by city staff were targeted because of illegal placement ... not the name in print.

“I haven’t personally touched any one of their signs,” he said. “I’m running for office, too, but you have to follow the rules. I don’t have anything against Roen Cox or his signs, but he can’t stick them in the right of way. The Texas Local Government Code says that the mayor shall see all laws enforced. I’m still the mayor, and I’m going to enforce the law.”

Cox insists, however, that his sign placement has abided by the law, and that in asking city staff to remove his signs, Martin has impressed upon his employees to commit a crime.

“The street and water supervisor told me he wasn’t going to honor the mayor’s decision, and I told him not to get in the middle of it,” Cox said. “Still, that’s my freedom of speech. I felt violated. The landowner that had allowed me to put the signs up ... he felt violated. I know [Martin] is taking down my signs.”

When asked how he could be sure that Martin or individuals associated with Martin were the ones tampering with his property, Cox said he had taken precautionary measures to ensure he could track his campaign signs.

“I had been warned of possible retribution when I announced my candidacy,” Cox said. “When I put my signs up, I scribbled my driver’s license number on each T-post with a drill bit. One of my signs was removed, and days later, one of Randy Martin’s signs was put up nearby. I checked it out. His sign was erected on my T-post with my driver’s license number scratched into it.”

Ultimately, the position of mayor will be filled by whichever candidate voters choose. With the municipal election fast approaching on May 9, none of the players in Reno anticipates a battle won quietly. Still, County Attorney John Forrest said he hopes the matter can be resolved peacefully before any crimes are committed.

“It’s a political battle,” Forrest said. “We’ve looked at it because if there’s a crime, we’ll be the first to come up there and take care of it. A lot of the things that are being said are just that ... being said. It’s profanity and it’s not professional, but it’s also not an imminent threat. They have a conflict of personalities up there and it’s a bad situation. But at this point, that’s all it is ... a conflict of personalities.”