Half of City Council Walks Out, Leaving City Months Without Quorum

Fate, TX – Fate City Council Walks Out. Three of the four officials voters just recalled stood up after the pledge and prayer last night and left the Fate City Council dais for good. Mayor Andrew Greenberg, Councilman Mark Hatley and Councilman Rick Maneval each offered brief remarks, then walked out of the November 10 meeting. Councilwoman Martha Huffman, also recalled on November 3, stayed in her seat.

Greenberg went first. Pipkins Reports obtained the full text of his prepared remarks, which he delivered before stepping away:

“Before we continue tonight, I’d like to offer a few brief remarks. Last Tuesday, the voters of Fate made their voices heard. They have chosen to move in a different direction, and I respect their decision. Public office is a privilege entrusted to us by the people, and that trust must always be respected, even when the outcome is not what we had hoped.

Serving as Mayor of Fate has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and deeply grateful to the residents who gave me the opportunity to serve.

I also want to briefly address tonight’s meeting.

There are important matters on our agenda, but I have significant reservations about making consequential changes to how our city governs, particularly by altering established procedures and delegating authority in anticipation of what may be a temporary absence of a council quorum—especially before the public can see what’s being proposed.

I believe decisions of this magnitude deserve careful consideration, and I question whether the closing days of an outgoing council are the appropriate time to make them.

And considering that one of the controversies of my time in office involved holding a meeting when it was cold outside, I’ve learned that even the simplest decisions about city meetings can generate an extraordinary amount of heat.

I believe the best course forward is one that respects the voters’ decision and preserves the integrity of our governing institutions.

With that in mind, I will not participate in the remaining deliberations or votes this evening and will be stepping away from the dais.

I leave tonight without bitterness and with tremendous optimism for our community.

I truly believe Fate’s best days are ahead. This city is bigger than any one mayor, council, election, or political disagreement. My sincere hope is that we can turn the page on this difficult chapter, extend grace to one another, and remember that we are neighbors long before we are political opponents.

To my fellow residents, thank you for the privilege of serving. My love for this city has never depended on holding an office, and it certainly doesn’t end with leaving one.

May God bless each of you, and may God continue to bless the City of Fate.

Thank you.”

Hatley and Maneval followed with short statements of their own acknowledging the election results, then left. Huffman remained. The three departures dropped the body below the number needed for a quorum on anything beyond canvassing. Temporary City Attorney, David Overcash, attempted to chastise the three outgoing councilmen as they were walking out the door.

That leaves Huffman, Ashley Rains and Allen Robbins as the only elected members still seated. Under Texas law and the city’s charter, their only clear authority without a quorum is to canvass the November 3 results. They can officially declare Greenberg, Hatley, Maneval and Huffman recalled. They cannot call the special election required to fill those seats.

They can also canvass the Place 1 special election left open by the earlier recall of Codi Chinn. That race produced no majority winner, Stephanie Adams led with 47.44 percent but fell short of 50 percent, so a runoff is required between Adams and Joshua Martin. The remaining three cannot call that runoff either.

The practical result is that Fate will need a district judge to order the elections. How many seats a judge will order is not yet clear. Filling enough seats to restore a quorum is the minimum. Whether the court will also order the other vacancies filled at the same time remains an open question.

And the calendar is unforgiving. Seeking a judicial order, obtaining a ruling, opening a candidate filing period, giving residents time to evaluate those candidates, holding the election, and then canvassing it will take months. Until then the city lacks a functioning council able to approve budgets, contracts, appointments or ordinary business. Once new members are seated, several of them will only be filling unexpired terms. At least two of those seats will still need to appear on the May ballot regardless of how many temporary appointments or special-election winners take office in the interim.

Voters exercised a legal right to remove officials they no longer wanted. The walkout simply accepted that verdict and declined to use the final hours of office to rewrite rules or delegate power while a quorum was already evaporating. The cost is a prolonged period in which basic municipal decisions sit idle. Public spending, contracts and appointments wait. Neighbors who disagreed on the recalls now share the same practical problem: a city government that cannot act until a court and another election restore a quorum. That is the direct consequence of the numbers voters delivered on November 3.

Questions & Answers

What did Mayor Andrew Greenberg say before walking out of the Fate City Council meeting on November 10, 2026?
Greenberg read a prepared statement acknowledging the voters’ decision to recall him, expressing pride in his service, raising concerns about making major procedural changes in the final days of an outgoing council, and announcing he would not participate in further deliberations or votes that evening. He closed by wishing the city well and thanking residents.

Which recalled Fate officials left the November 10 meeting and which one stayed?
Mayor Andrew Greenberg, Councilman Mark Hatley and Councilman Rick Maneval left after brief remarks. Councilwoman Martha Huffman, who was also recalled, remained seated.

What actions can the three remaining Fate council members take without a quorum?
They can canvass the November 3 election results, officially recording the recalls of Greenberg, Hatley, Maneval and Huffman, and canvass the Place 1 race. They cannot call special elections or a runoff to fill any of the vacant seats.

Why could Fate be without a functioning city council for months?
A district judge must order the elections to restore a quorum. The time required for a court ruling, candidate filing, campaign period, election and canvassing means ordinary council business cannot resume until that process finishes. Some of the seats filled will still need to appear on the May ballot as unexpired terms.

What sources support the reporting on the walkout and the legal constraints?
The account of the meeting and Greenberg’s full remarks come from observation and a copy of the speech obtained by Pipkins Reports. Election results and runoff requirements are drawn from Rockwall County unofficial returns and prior reporting on the November 3 ballot. Quorum and canvassing limits are governed by the Texas Election Code and the Fate city charter.