City of Cisco released an update amid financial investigations

CISCO, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – The city of Cisco released an update concerning the investigation efforts to discern how approximately $800,000 in city funds were withheld from their proper channels and spent elsewhere in the budget, contributing to the city’s debt.

This comes after the City Manager, Darwin Archers, resigned, and the Cisco City Council unanimously voted to instruct Mayor Stephen Forester to contact Eastland County District Attorney Brad Stephenson and the Assistant District Attorney, Paul Lewallen, on Thursday, October 17, to pursue an external financial investigation alongside the internal investigation already in progress.

“After much discussion, the Eastland County District Attorney’s Office decided to speak to the Texas Rangers to determine the next course of action to take. The Cisco representatives were told that the investigation was a process and could take some time.” – Mayor Stephen Forester said in his statement.

The debts come from three sources, which owe $300,000 in state funding to the Cisco Economic Development Corporation. More than $190,000 will be donated to the city’s solid waste disposal service, and a possible $272,000 will be donated for water meter installation.

Jason Whetstone spoke with KRBC and stated that the council had been told the funds were spent elsewhere within city funds. This means that at this time, it is not expected that any member took them for private use.

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