Anything else?

"I'm not for postponing government business for political aspirations. Hell, we don't make much money. They know that," Hicks said. "Nothing is secret. It's kind of like being half pregnant. You either are or you aren't."

While the contract question has been set aside for the time being, another wrinkle appeared in Reyes' campaign last week.

When Reyes named Carmen Garcia as her treasurer on December 20, 1996, Reyes resigned from the Cultural Affairs Commission, a seat to which Luna appointed her. Reyes had to resign because city ethics codes bar council candidates--and their treasurers--from serving on any city boards or commissions. But Garcia, whom Luna appointed to the Reinvestment Zone 4 (Cedars Area) board, did not resign.

Dallas Election Manager Jeff Watson says he called Garcia in early January to see if she was the same Carmen Garcia who serves on the Reinvestment Zone 4 board. "She said she didn't recognize the board," Watson recalls.

On Friday, Watson called Garcia again just to make sure she wasn't the same person as the Carmen Garcia sitting on the board. In response, Garcia told Watson that she is the Carmen Garcia on the reinvestment board after all.

Watson says he then informed Garcia that she can't serve on the board and be Reyes' treasurer at the same time. Garcia says she resigned her board position in a letter she sent to Kirk on Monday. When Watson first contacted her last month, Garcia says, she misunderstood his question.

"I didn't know that was against the code of ethics," Garcia said Tuesday. "But it's all taken care of now, so there's no problem.