2026 Gold Medal Recipient

Councilman Jesse Myles has been awarded the Gold Medal for missing a record eight council meetings in the City of Harker Heights, setting a new benchmark for absenteeism among local officials.

Attempts to contact Councilman Myles at his residence, 1290 Boyt Road, Crystal Beach, TX (valued at $324,000), were not successful, raising questions about his whereabouts during critical times. (Last year he took a 30-day vacation during the budget cycle for the City).

In the realm of public service, civic duty demands that elected representatives like Myles fulfill their responsibilities by actively participating in meetings, voicing constituent concerns, and contributing to decision-making processes that shape the community; unfortunately, his repeated absences exemplify a troubling disregard for these obligations.  

The City of Harker Heights Mayor Pro-Tem, Mr. Sam Halabi commented that Myles should be more proactive and “I’m not talking about who you want to tell,” Halabi said about Myles’ absences.  Halabi added:  “You can’t just decide, ‘I’m going to take off.’ ... If you don’t have the time to do the job, maybe say goodbye.”

Other local officials from surrounding communities were contacted for comments and all responded with the same comment:  "Who?...never heard of him - what's he done?"

Social media reaction is overwhelming in support of Myles saying "goodbye".