In a special closed session meeting last week, members of the Houston City Council voted to dismiss their legal case against the former mayor.
With Alderman Kevin Stilley absent, members voted to terminate special counsel Nathan Nickolaus for all current and future services.
Then, members voted to dismiss the case of the City of Houston vs. Willy Walker without prejudice. Neither subject matter had any dissenting votes.
In a statement, the city said, “On Aug. 28, 2023, the Board of Aldermen of the City of Houston voted unanimously to discharge its current outside counsel and seek a new attorney, in the case of the City of Houston vs. Willy Walker. The Board of Alderman also voted unanimously to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit, without prejudice to refiling the suit, while the City seeks replacement counsel in the case. The voluntary dismissal had nothing to do with the case’s merits, nor does it prevent the City from refiling the suit to recover from Mr. Walker the economic damages suffered by the citizens and taxpayers of the city.”
Travis Elliott, Walker’s attorney, on behalf of Walker, provided the following statement Monday, “Mr. Walker is pleased that the Board of Alderman chose to dismiss the lawsuit against him. He stands by his position that the lawsuit was unfounded and purely motivated by personal and political differences that were unfortunately funded at the expense of the taxpayers of the City of Houston.”
Filed in November 2022, the lawsuit alleged Walker received health insurance coverage that he should have reimbursed the city. It was terminated March 1. The city alleged the total was $10,695.
Previously, in a special session on Monday, Aug. 28, with Alderman Kevin Stilley absent, members appointed Alderman Don Romines as mayor pro tem.
Romines replaces Stilley as pro tem, who stepped away from the position for personal reasons.