DeKalb City officials respond to allegations of election tampering

By Kenny Mitchell

kenny@westbowiepost.com

The DeKalb City Council met last night for its regular monthly meeting with a short agenda that included possible action on initializing a burn ban in the city limits and a possible tax increase.

During the public forum portion of the meeting, the council was addressed by local residents Marjorie Roberts and Terry Bray. Roberts discussed concerns with ballot tampering during the city election held back in May of this year, and Bray voiced thanks to the city and its public works department for addressing her concerns and making needed repairs to Martin Luther King Boulevard.

In regard to the burn ban, the council was informed by Mayor Lowell Walker that he had spoken with county officials and was told that they were likely to initiate a county wide burn ban in the next 10 days. The council voted unanimously to table the action to a later date.

On the tax increase, Mayor Walker informed the council members that there were three options, with one including a nominal three cent increase. Walker told those gathered at City Hall that he believed a small increase was necessary for several reasons.

The mayor also noted the possibility that the next session of the Texas Legislature could result in legislation that would do away with property tax revenues that the city depends on to operate.

Finally, Mayor Walker noted that the increase would help cover a possible $30,000 expenditure for necessary software and additional city staff to address over 100 Freedom of Information Act requests filed by  local residents, including Roberts that spoke in public forum.

Walker explained to the West Bowie Post that the inundation of FOI requests require a considerable amount of time to answer, and the current city staff has been severely burdened by the constant influx of requests.

Mayor Walker also informed the council and those present that he has requested a criminal investigator to address the allegations brought by Marjorie Roberts. Walker has had communications with someone at the Bowie County District Attorney’s Office in regard to those allegations which include several accusations of election tampering in reference to the city elections in May of this year.

Roberts is on record saying that she was told that ballots from the recent election were destroyed only days after voting, and if that is accurate the action contradicts state retention requirements.

She has asked the city questions such as when the ballots were destroyed, who authorized the destruction and why were retention laws not followed.

During Roberts comments in public forum, Mayor Walker called DeKalb Police Chief Phelps to the front and instructed him to contact the county investigator in reference to her allegations of election fraud, and told Roberts that she could take her allegations before a Bowie County grand jury. Mayor Walker stated, “The integrity of our elections are sacrosanct. We take these allegations seriously.”

The council voted unanimously to move towards a slight tax increase that would see the tax rate return close to what the rate was in 2023. The action requires the city to hold a public hearing before the rate is adopted.

**Publisher’s Note

The previously published article on the August 11,2026 meeting of the DeKalb City Council has been amended. During the course of the meeting Tuesday night, the council was informed that sales tax revenue for the City of DeKalb was down for 2026. Upon verification with the State Comptroller’s office, those statements have been proven to be inaccurate.

Our coverage of the meeting reflects the statements said on record in the meeting, but we have amended the story removing the statements concerning the decrease in sales tax revenue.