Your trusted source for community news
A previously undisclosed ethics complaint against Farmers Branch Mayor Terry Lynne accused him of failing to report alleged misconduct by City Council Member Elizabeth Villafranca and questioned his actions during the June 2 confrontation between Villafranca and City Council Member Lupe Gonzalez.
Lynne rejected the allegations, calling the complaint "frivolous, retaliatory and unfounded."
The Farmers Branch City Council dismissed the complaint during a July special called meeting, but the complaint and Lynne's written response were not publicly available at the time. The city released both documents Aug. 6 in response to a Branch Herald open records request.
Cesar Gonzalez, Lupe Gonzalez's husband, filed the four-page complaint July 10. It cited Section 2-280 of the city's Code of Ethics and focused largely on Lynne's response to the June 2 confrontation.
The confrontation later resulted in ethics complaints involving Gonzalez and Villafranca and an Aug. 4 public hearing on Villafranca's complaint against Gonzalez.
Cesar Gonzalez was not present during the confrontation. His complaint relied in part on what he said his wife told him afterward.
He alleged Lynne stepped between the council members and "placed his hands on Lupe." According to the complaint, an officer then stepped in and the confrontation de-escalated.
The complaint also described a phone conversation between Lynne and Lupe Gonzalez the following morning. Cesar Gonzalez wrote that Lynne apologized for putting his hands on her and said Villafranca's conduct "was not ok."
Gonzalez questioned Lynne's later public statements about whether he touched Lupe Gonzalez and accused the mayor of failing to report what he characterized as ethics violations by Villafranca.
The complaint cited video shown to the City Council during its June 11 special meeting. Cesar Gonzalez argued the video contradicted Villafranca's account of the confrontation and questioned why Lynne had not filed an ethics complaint against her.
"As of today, July 10th, 2026, it has been 29 days since the video was seen by council," Gonzalez wrote. "I have given Mayor Lynne more than enough time to file an ethics complaint regarding Council Member Villafranca's sworn statement under oath."
The allegation that Villafranca made a false sworn statement was Gonzalez's assertion, not a finding by the city.
Gonzalez also alleged Lynne failed to address what he characterized as conflicts of interest involving Villafranca and accused Lynne of allowing Villafranca's alleged "harassing behavior to continue."
Lynne submitted a one-page rebuttal July 14, disputing the allegations and whether the complaint met the requirements for council consideration.
"Cesar Gonzalez has made allegations which are based on hearsay, speculation and actions that he did not witness," Lynne wrote. "The complaint does not have any facts. The Council does not have the authority to investigate complaints not based on facts."
Lynne also rejected the premise that he was responsible for policing another council member's conduct.
"Mr. Gonzalez alleges that I did not stop or report Councilwoman Villafranca for things she may have done," Lynne wrote. "Controlling another councilmember is not my responsibility and I do not have the authority to do that."
He asked the council to dismiss the complaint as "frivolous, retaliatory and unfounded."
Following executive session, the council voted 4-1 to dismiss the allegations against Lynne. City Council Members Tina Bennett-Burton, Roger Neal, David Reid and Villafranca voted in favor. Gonzalez voted against.
The newly released documents provide additional context to ethics disputes that have occupied the council since the June 2 confrontation. The council held a public hearing Aug. 4 on Villafranca's complaint against Gonzalez and later went into executive session to discuss a separate complaint against Villafranca.
The complaint and Lynne's response are attached to this story.
Local News Matters.
