Several Fort Worth City Council members are accusing Chief Communications Officer Reyne Telles of going rogue for posting a statement without the approval of the council — thereby putting Telles’ opinion above that of the council.
Telles waded into a testy topic over the weekend by issuing a statement on the city’s website after the death of Fort Worth Police Sgt. Billy Randolph. The death, while tragic, exposed fissures in the city when Fort Worth Officer Jimmy Pollozani blasted a handful of council members for failing to attend Rudolph’s funeral.
Pushing back on Pollozani, Telles posted the statement — and even tagged the city council in the post, a move that had not been approved.
Telles has since deleted the post, but the impact had already been registered.
“Fort Worth City Leaders released a statement distancing themselves from police spokesperson Officer Jimmy Pollozani after his personal social media post criticizing 3 of the 4 council members who didn’t attend a police funeral,” Scoop Jefferson posted on X.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, three members of the Fort Worth City Council were called out by Pollozani for not attending the funeral of Sgt. Billy Randolph, who was killed in the line of duty earlier this month.
“City of Fort Worth three Council members, often referred to as the ‘Fort Worth Squad’ — Chris Nettles, Jared Williams, and Elizabeth Beck — FAIL to attend Sergeant Bill Randolph’s funeral,” wrote Jimmy Pollozani, the president of the Fort Worth Brotherhood of the Fallen, in a since-deleted Facebook post.
Fort Worth council members want to get to the bottom of how Telles’ initial post came to be.
“I think its important that council has the opportunity to review it,” City Councilmember Charles Lauersdorf told DX.
“My thoughts did not align with it, and I let Reyne know that,” Lauersdorf said.
Lauersdorf told DX that the statement from Telles made it appear that it came from the whole council when the majority of the council did not get briefed beforehand on the statement.
“That statement did not reflect my opinions,” Lauersdorf said.
“I don’t think it sends the right message to the police force,” Lauersdorf told DX.
Councilmember Alan Blaylock echoed Lauersdorf comments.
“Recently, a statement was posted on the City of Fort Worth’s website and attributed to the Fort Worth City Council. However, neither I nor several of my fellow councilmembers were consulted or informed about this communication by city staff. I only became aware of it through inquiries from constituents and the media,” Blaylock told DX.
“It is unacceptable for statements to be issued on my behalf, or on behalf of my office, without proper consultation. I have since spoken with the City Manager to address this matter, and steps are being taken to ensure this does not happen again,” Blaylock said.
The Dallas Express reached out to Telles for comment regarding what made him issue a statement without consulting with the whole council.
“The City of Fort Worth occasionally issues statements on matters where clarification may be needed—on behalf of the organization. Such statements are intended to come from the organization and are not intended to speak for any of the Councilmembers, unless stated as such,” Telles said.
DX also asked whether a council member had convinced him to make the statement or if the statement was intended to be a form of retaliation against Pollozani.
“No. I worked in coordination with at the behest of city management and in coordination with departmental leadership,” he said, also claiming he did not intend to retaliate against Pollozani.
Telles went on to say he supports police.
“I support them, I know they often have a difficult job. The tragic death of Sgt. Randolph illustrates the risk that the members of our police department face each and every day,” he said.
DX also asked if he played politics with his position. He said, “No.”
UPDATE: This article was updated to include Telles’ responses to questions posed by The Dallas Express.
CORRECTION: This article was updated at 11:30 a.m. on August 28, 2024, to correct an error regarding where Telles issued the statement.
