At least two Denton community leaders whose names appeared on Mayor Perry McNeill’s campaign committee in a recent mailer have asked to be removed from the committee, saying they never intended to choose sides in the May 10 mayoral race.

Perry McNeill

Mark Burroughs

Others listed as committee members also said they didn’t recall telling McNeill he could include their names on campaign literature — a claim the mayor denies.

“Everybody on that list I either had an e-mail from, a contact with or personal conversation with,” Mc­Neill said. “I thought that I had their permission.”

McNeill implied rival Mark Burroughs and his supporters were behind rumors that he packed the committee with high-profile names without some members’ consent.

McNeill also accused Burroughs of leading a whisper campaign to portray him as either disinterested in running again or too old to complete another term. McNeill, a retired college professor and engineer seeking his second two-year term as mayor, is 71.

“I was just flabbergasted,” McNeill said, explaining his reaction to the rumors. “I wasn’t going to bring this up at all, but since they’re making an issue out of it [the campaign committee], I felt I had to at least defend myself.”

Burroughs, 50, a lawyer and former City Council member, laughed when told of the “too-old” allegation.

“I wouldn’t even say that to John McCain,” Burroughs said of the likely Republican presidential nominee, who also is 71.

Burroughs also denied telling anyone McNeill wouldn’t seek another term.

“Mr. McNeill had indicated in the newspaper, I think in December, that he had not decided [whether to run again], and I did say that to several people,” Burroughs said. “I told no one that he was not going to run.”

Burroughs is one of three people challenging McNeill in the race. Entrepreneur Justin Bell, 30, and swimming pool technician Darac Jason Favre, 20, also are seeking the city’s top elected position.

Controversy over McNeill’s campaign literature arose after his Feb. 20 mailer included a long list of prominent names under the heading “campaign committee.”

Since then, at least two people — United Way of Denton County leader Lilia Bynum and Denton Chamber of Commerce board chairwoman Phyllis Pittman — asked to be removed from future campaign literature.

“It’s United Way’s policy to be politically neutral as far as appearing in anyone’s campaign literature or anything like that,” said Bynum, United Way president and chief executive officer. “It’s always been standard procedure.”

“We never want to do anything to upset any of our donors, so we try to be as neutral politically as we possibly can,” Bynum said.

Pittman, who owns a cookie bouquet business, said she wanted to stay neutral in the mayoral race, partly because of her position on the chamber board. She said she also would be “totally out of pocket” during the campaign, doesn’t live in Denton, and enjoys friendships with McNeill and Burroughs.

“I don’t feel like I should be on anyone’s committee,” she said.

Both Bynum and Pittman said they spoke with McNeill about the election but didn’t believe they agreed to appear on campaign literature.

The Denton Record-Chronicle called a sampling of people listed on steering committees for Denton City Council and mayoral candidates. The spot check found two other people — Denia neighborhood activist Alice Gore and real estate businessman David Vanderlaan — who said they did not recall agreeing to serve on McNeill’s committee.

Neither Gore nor Vanderlaan had asked to be removed.

“Of the ones that are running for mayor, I think Perry McNeill would be the best of the lot,” Gore said. “I have no problem with being on his committee.”

Banker Paul Chandler, treasurer of the Denton chamber, declined to comment on whether he consented to appear on McNeill’s committee.

McNeill acknowledged that “two or three” people asked to be taken off his committee because they served in “sensitive positions,” but he declined to name them.

The individuals initially consented but “decided that since this issue was being raised [about their positions], that they probably didn’t want to have their name on there,” McNeill said.

McNeill said “the same thing happened” with Burroughs’ steering committee but declined to offer details.

Burroughs said he secured permission from each person who appears on his steering committee. One person, whom he declined to name, asked to be removed after initially consenting, but it happened before any of his campaign literature was published, Burroughs said.

Burroughs described the person as a friend of his and McNeill’s.

“This election has that nuance to it because we all have the same circle of friends — or at least we have a great deal of overlap in our circle of friends and supporters,” Burroughs said.

Human nature

McNeill is hardly the first local political candidate to face questions about his campaign literature. Past examples include:

• In 2004, Denton County Constable Jim Dotson complained that then-Sheriff Weldon Lucas included his name in a campaign mailer. Lucas, who was challenging Precinct 1 commissioner Cynthia White, produced a flier quoting Dotson as saying the sheriff’s and constable’s offices worked well together. Dotson said it gave the appearance of an endorsement, but Lucas said he had permission to use the quote.

• In 2005, Corinth adopted a code of ethics for City Council candidates after accusations of unethical behavior in prior races. They included one incumbent using the city’s logo on campaign literature and several candidates, including their Republican Party affiliation on advertisements, despite the nonpartisan nature of the council races.

• A 2006 mailer from Denton school board member Curtis Ramsey listed an advisory committee that included several dead people and others who said they were not on the committee. Ramsey explained that, to save money, he used old stationery that listed those names down the side.

• During the same campaign, Ramsey’s opponent, machine operator Calvin Evans, withdrew a pamphlet after Ramsey said it violated Texas Ethics Commis­sion rules on political advertising. The pamphlet asked voters to “re-elect” Evans, but he did not hold a place on the board at the time. Evans, a former board member, said he produced the pamphlet using a document from a previous campaign and forgot to change “re-elect” to “elect.”

Dr. John Booth, a regents professor of political science at the University of North Texas, said the reasons for such mishaps vary.

“Some of it is ignorance [of election law], but I think it’s like many other things: Human beings are fallible,” Booth said.

“I think people who run for office just think they need to take whatever advantage they can and seize it.”

LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com .