Cleveland mayor caught on tape cursing, threatening city manager
CLEVELAND, Texas - With a body-camera equipped Peace Officer in tow, Cleveland Mayor Richard Boyett appeared clearly intent on a recorded confrontation; it would not be pretty.
"You are a [sic] (expletive) if you think I’m going to sit here and let you run this City," said Mayor Boyett after entering the office of City Manager Stacy Williams.
It rapidly got worse.
"I'll be up here, (expletive) every day from now on and watch your (expletive), that's all I'm going to do," said Boyett to Williams.
Williams was appointed by Cleveland's City Council, a move the Mayor strongly opposed.
"You know you are going to be fired," threatened Boyett. "It's going to be my life thing to make sure you never get another job with anybody again."
At one point during the exchange, Boyett taunts Williams as if hoping the confrontation will turn physical.
"It bothers you right now," he said. "You would like to take a punch at me."
When the City Manager remains unprovoked, Mayor Boyett exits, but not before firing one more nasty shot.
"(expletive) you and the horse that brought you into Cleveland," Boyett yells at Williams.
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FOX 26 reached out to Mayor Boyett by phone and office visit to get his side of this story. While he has not yet responded, he did express regret at a recent city council meeting.
"I lost my temper and I said some things," Boyett said just prior to repeating his intent to fire Williams. "I apologize to him right now."
Two out-going council members say the crude language and threatening behavior displayed by Boyett have been the rule and hardly the exception.
"He said this is his City. He can do what he want to do," said Councilmember Delores Terry. "Just his cuss words and in his heart I know what he meant. He used the MF word a whole lot and shut the (blank) up and all those things to me."
"He has gone as far as to pull his fist back and threaten me and want to punch the 'S' out of me," added Councilmember James Franklin. "He's pretty free to use the 'F' word and just a bully all around."
FOX 26 has heard from City Manager Williams, who says he is proud to serve the citizens of Cleveland as long as he's needed. Councilmember Terry meanwhile, says if the Mayor insists on William's termination, it will likely cost local taxpayers at least $280,000 to buy out his contract.