COMMON CITY, COUNTY BUDGET STRATEGY: PASS THE BUCK

By Juan Montoya

This past round of City of Brownsville and Cameron County budget deliberations revealed the cynicism and deceit that our elected officials have utilized to conceal their ineptness.
On the city side, commissioners, facing a $3 million deficit, merely went back to the well and tapped the good old Public Utility Board for more cash on top of the $10million they already get from the utility annually.
The reasoning as Charlie Atkinson put it: "It's part of the City of Brownsville."
In other words, the city is already taking $10 million from the utility (read, rate payers of PUB, you and me), so an additional $3 million from the same pocket ain't going to make a difference. Instead of biting the bullet for the mismanagement of city administrators (and Atkinson individually)and raising property taxes 2 cents, Atkinson and his fellows on the commission decided to again raid the PUB ratepayers instead.
Can anyone tell the average resident that the money is not coming from the same pocket – his?
This is the mindset of someone who has spent people's money because "we're not raising taxes," but rather, "it's paid by this fund or that one." It doesn't matter which way you cut it, Charlie. It's coming from our pockets. As a federal employee with all the benefits due a government employee, where do you think the money to pay you comes from? Guess what? How about the same place?
One of the reasons the city could not go into reserves to stave off the property-tax increase is because they have gone to that well too often. Another hit there and bond ratings would drop and the interest on the money the commissioners borrowed would cost more and plunge future generation even with more debt than they already have.
At the county, things were not much different, except for one thing: Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos is a certified public accountant. He saw the writing on the wall and after going over line item by line item of the proposed budget with the other commissioners, he saw there was no other way out than raising the property tax up a penny and one-third.
How did the county get into that situation?
"Creative accounting," Cascos said. "In past administrations under Gilbert Hinojosa, when the budget would show a deficit, he would ask budget personnel to project higher revenues from revenue sources. That way, the commissioners could say they had a balanced budget. But the shortages would start to show up before the end of the year."
In this way, Hinojosa could keep his stable of sycophants in line and assure their political support to stay in power.
His administrative assistant, for example, was Remi Garza, son of San Benito attorney Yolanda Garza and D. Raul Garza, known political powers in that resaca city. Another was Silvestre Garcia(Silver), mayor of Combes, who was also given a position of assistant in Hinojosa's office. Yet another was the late Frances Domenski, whose political claim to fame was that she controlled a large bloc of votes in El Ranchito.
Speaking of Remi, he garnered a $60,000 salary without a professional degree while a professional planner with a master's degree in the same office earned thousands less.
And let's not forget Abel Perez, a constable who gave up his office and ran for county sheriff and lost. After his loss, Hinojosa created the position of Constables Liaison for Perez, who did, well, nothing really. How do you liaison between the commissioners – elected officials – and the constables, who are also elected?
All these operatives were paid with county funds by Hinojosa, and added up to a pretty penny that helped drive the budget into deficit.
Instead of following the Hinojosa slight-of-hand, Cascos and two other commissioners – David Garza and Edna Tamayo – opted to bite the bullet and pass the tax increase, a politically-risky move given the political climate.
The two other commissioners – would-be county judge candidate John Wood and go-along-to-get-along Pct. 1 commissioner Sofie Benavides – went back on their agreement with the others and voted against the hike.
What will happen in the city when budget time comes around again? Can they pull another rabbit out of the hat without raising taxes or utility rates?
And at the county level, will Wood and Benavides use their vote against the tax increase a plank on their campaign appeal?
But perhaps more importantly: Will we let them?