Dickinson mayor Sean Skipworth resigns following years of turmoil

Sean Skipworth, the embattled mayor of the Galveston County town of Dickinson, announced his resignation on Facebook Tuesday following years of political turmoil.

In his Facebook post, Skipworth attributed the decision to “a campaign of rumor, smear and intimidation” directed at him, his family and other city officials by “a group of people in our city who feel their power slipping away.”

“It has become acceptable to some to discuss hanging me and purging me from the earth,” Skipworth wrote. “My school-aged child has been a subject of smear. City employees have been  stalked across state lines. In the last month alone I have had to contend with escalating threats and friends have been doxxed on social media. The situation has taken an enormous toll on my physical and mental health. I know it has taken a toll on the physical and mental health of my friends and family. I can no longer put that burden on them in good conscience.”

Skipworth, who first took office in 2020, said he will continue in his role until a successor is elected in November 2024. In an interview with the Landing, he said his efforts as mayor to root out misconduct and corruption from City Hall have resulted in clashes with entrenched political and monetary interests, leading to the harassment and vitriol he described in his Facebook post.

“I hope that people will look introspectively” following his resignation, Skipworth said. “Are we OK with this? Can you just bully and intimidate people and say outlandish things, make threats? Is that what we’re gonna reward?”

Wayne Dolcefino’s investigation into Skipworth

Dickinson, a city of about 20,000 that sits midway between League City and Texas City along I-45, has attracted increased scrutiny in recent years. Much has stemmed from the attention of Wayne Dolcefino, a private investigator and former TV reporter, who has attacked Skipworth’s administration repeatedly through numerous videos posted to social media and a 2023 lawsuit alleging it withheld public records.

It is unclear who retained Dolcefino, who has nicknamed Skipworth the “d— in Dickinson.” Dolcefino has declined to name his clients, describing his actions to the Houston Chronicle in January as “a little like fishing… You’d be surprised what jumps out.”

Skipworth attributes Dolcefino’s “harassment” to his aggressive efforts as mayor to identify and eliminate misconduct from Dickinson City Hall.

In particular, Skipworth has twice referred alleged misconduct to the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office for criminal charges. In 2021, he filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office alleging members of the Dickinson Economic Development Corporation had engaged in various forms of misconduct during contract negotiations over a proposed mixed-use property. No charges were ever filed.

However, a second referral, sent in 2023 following an internal investigation into a case of police misconduct, did result in an indictment . Last February, prosecutors charged Dickinson Police Department Sergeant Michael Kinsley with a felony charge of intentional injury to an elderly person and a misdemeanor charge of official oppression for his actions during the 2022 arrest of 65-year-old Michael Scurlock, who was left with a traumatic brain injury.

Dickinson city officials had commissioned private investigator Jesse Prado to probe the incident in late 2022 following a whistleblower’s complaint. In a report issued in early 2023 , Prado found that Kinsley used excessive force in his encounter with Scurlock, that he and other officers neglected to provide needed medical care following Scurlock’s injury, and that law enforcement leadership subsequently engaged in a cover-up of the incident. Scurlock died in late 2022.

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Skipworth was open about his dismay over the situation, telling the Landing last fall that he “felt betrayed” by the actions of the department’s “upper administration.”

It was not long after the Landing published Skipworth’s comments that the mayor faced a recall effort by individuals who claimed the city had failed to meet its “fiduciary responsibilities,” according to The Galveston County Daily News. Skipworth told the paper in December that the petitioners had violated city rules by enlisting outsiders to gather signatures. The petition was later invalidated after the city determined it failed to meet relevant legal requirements.

In his Facebook post Tuesday, Skipworth said a new recall petition is currently underway “with a fresh set of invented charges.” In his interview with the Landing, he characterized the new effort as part of the cycle of retaliation against him by those whose power he has threatened.

“Apparently, the witch hunt must continue and the drama is poised to ramp up again for our community and for my family,” he wrote. “I hope and pray that Dickinson will reject the ugliness that has been allowed to fester in our community.”