Cynthia Kirby In a called meeting Monday evening, the Lometa City Council filled its mayoral vacancy. It had operated without a mayor or mayor pro tem since Doug Brister's resignation Oct. 21. Upon coming out of a lengthy executive session, council member Cynthia Kirby was moved into the top spot.

Mrs. Kirby was elected to her second term on the council in May.

"I have been given this opportunity, and I will serve the city of Lometa to the best of my ability," she said.

In other personnel issues, the council nominated two Lometa residents to step into the vacant council positions. Councilwoman Betty Poe named Kyle Walton, while Councilman Mario Maldonado suggested previous council member and former mayor David Ivey.

City Secretary Michelle Schueneman reported that Walton had accepted the nomination, but Ivey's was still undecided.

The council also agreed to retain Cary Bovey of Austin as city attorney. The move came in response to a lawsuit filed Oct. 21 in small claims court by Rigoberto Reyes. Court documents indicate Reyes' $5,000 suit is alleging the city's "failure to uphold contract bid for removal of used tires from City Park."

The issue was discussed during the council's October meeting, at which time Reyes spoke during open forum. "I was cleaning up tires at the park, and now I am told not to. I was wondering why," he said at that time. "I played by the rules. I put in a bid by Aug. 31. I didn't expect to get paid to clean up, but I did expect to be paid to haul off the tires."

Reyes said he had organized and stacked tires in preparation for their removal from the Lometa Regional Park before the city switched to another removal company.

At the time, then-Mayor Brister informed Reyes that his agreement with the city was verbal, and no contract was signed. Brister also cited Reyes' $12 per tire fee as reason for his termination. It was stated then that tires were being removed from the park by another company at a cost of $1-$2 per tire.