Good bye to Rob Franke as Cedar Hill mayor You deserve a legal kick in the butt that you're not getting

STB-ex Mayor Rob Franke and then-Councilman Chris Parvin — Cedar Hill's original Piety Brother hypocrites.

Perhaps the soon-to-be-ex Cedar Hill mayor did nothing criminally wrong, but ethically wrong? Shit, that good-old-boy network of real estate issues stunk to high heaven ethically. And, per Franke's personal background, was hypocritical as hell for a conservative evangelical Christian. Franke said he was embarrassed, but maybe it was only for being caught, especially since he blamed city staff for not reminding him — OVER A FULL DECADE — to not file conflict of interest materials. Others caught up in the issue, like Councilman Chris Parvin, may not even have been embarrassed. And, it's too bad Creuzot, didn't find enough to bring charges during the investigation, or rather, it seems, too bad Creuzot went in the tank for whatever reason. (Adding to the problem, perhaps, is that Creuzot's Greg Abbott-appointed GOP predecessor, Faith Johnson, is a Cedar Hill resident.)

Parvin, like Franke, was at least embarrassed enough not to run for re-election, ending his tenure a year ago. Fellow hypocrite Jami McLain — not on the council when I was there — unembarrassedly tried to succeed Franke as mayor, and lost. It makes me wonder what shenanigans went on behind what is now the semi-flop of a mall in Cedar Hill, the former Uptown Village, even if it's not inside the economic development zone that brought up the conflict of interest problems. The same lack of ethics that led to a refusal (NOT a "failure") to disclose conflicts of interest could have led to other unethical behavior in terms of land and economic development. The 2008 start of non-compliance is kind of a red flag. I wish I could ex post facto throw up Parvin's White Rhino coffee.

Parvin, unlike Franke, never really fooled me. Parvin was active then in partisan politics, along with then-fellow councilman Wade Emmert, who went on to eventually become Dallas County GOP chairman.

Franke? I don't bash all conservative Christians as people, even when I disagree strongly with their views. But, if they walk the walk ethically, I will tip my hat. And at the time I was in Cedar Hill, he struck me as a straight shooter.

I had no idea until reported several years later that he had these conflicts of interest ... and conveniently chose to stop reporting them just as the old downtown area of Cedar Hill was looking at new development, a possible planning overlay for that, etc.

And, Franke made this all much worse by claiming it was inadvertent, and that it was inadvertent because city staff didn't remind him.

Really, Rob? You (IMO) lying sack of shit? You'd been filing conflict of interest forms before that, and after that, because some city staffer reportedly didn't remind you, you magically forgot?

And, if I'm understanding correctly, this isn't just a civil issue. Creuzot could have filed Class B misdemeanors, at least if the prohibition on state officials applies to local elected bodies. He would have had to prove intent, but, still ...

That said, if former long-term city manager Alan Sims (city manager in 2008 and 2009, at least, per Franke's comments above) is now joining the city council, how much will really change? (Cedar Hill ISD trustee Valerie Banks would have been better, IMO, even if Sims won't be bad — I think.) Well, Cedar Hill voters are apparently allowing package booze sales, so that much has changed. And, Sims didn't appear to be as much a toady to Franke as Sims' assistant city manager, then successor, Greg Porter.

Other Best Southwest election results show long-term Drunkenville ISD board member Dorothy Wolverton poised to lose her seat.