DEPORT â As many local governmental bodies around the Red River Valley are preparing for May elections, Deport City Council members finalized the candidates for the upcoming election at a Monday meeting, drawing the order in which candidates will appear on the ballot.
Craig Folse, Rebecca Crawford, Gene Landreth, Danny Turner Jr. and John Roach are on the ballot for City Council, and Patrick Watson is running unopposed for mayor. The ballot will also include a vote to increase the sales tax rate to bring in more revenue.
A key topic was also handling the cityâs credit cards, which were canceled after former mayor John Mark Francis left office. Councilor Marilyn Glover said she no longer wanted to use the credit system and wants to set up direct debit withdrawals from the cityâs accounts. Mayor Pro Tem Craig Folse said he wanted to take a closer look at credit card charges after Councilor Rebecca Crawford brought up questions about some of the charges that seemed out
DEPORT â Sometimes, navigating life can mean making tough decisions. And Monday, Deport Mayor John Mark Francis made one. The three-term mayor, only recently reelected, announced his resignation at a special City Council meeting, citing persistent health issues that he said were getting in the way of him doing the job in the way heâd like.
âSo the way that I would want to be mayor I realized, well, I canât be active and do the job I want to do,â Francis said Tuesday.
Just over six years ago, Francis was in a serious car wreck involving a semi that left him with major damage to his left knee that required surgery, and he had to have an operation on his right arm. Francis said heâs been living with pain for years since and is in need of another surgery. With the full-time responsibility of being mayor, he said he felt he could no longer provide the level of involvement he wanted to bring to his position. The decision was one he said he agonized over, but
On a warm Monday night, Deport Mayor John Mark Francis raised his right hand to be sworn in by Red River County Judge L.D. Williamson for a third term. Francis said he will continue to work to bring jobs to the city and improve infrastructure.
DEPORT â The Moll family has been through more than most people endure in their entire lives, but it hasnât stopped them from giving back to their community.
On Dec. 31, 2019, Amber and Roy Moll lost their young son, Rodney, in a tragic accident. Mere months later, the Mollsâ Deport home was engulfed in flames and the family lost everything. But through it all, the Molls emerged and have invested their time and resources into their community service organization, Southern Faith Ministries of Texoma.
âWhen we lost our son, we just, we lost our faith in a way, and we just left the ministry alone. Then when we lost our house, it just seemed like everything was just coming down,â Amber said of the two tragedies.