By Juan Montoya
Less than a month in office and still to swear in the last of the seven-member city commissioners, the Martinez administration is already resorting to indebting the residents ob Brownsville without their say-so by calling for the issuance of $5.7 million in certificates of obligation.
Those voters who though the old-style tactics of issuing the COs instead of asking for the consent of the public who will pay for them by issuing general obligation bonds were over with the Pat Ahumada and Eddie Treviño administrations were unpleasantly surprised by the use of the same approach from new mayor Tony Martinez.
"We'll, we're back to the same old thing," said a voter who has been a steadfast supporter of the new
mayor. "Why didn't he tell us that he wasn't going to do this before the election. What a disappointment."
Today, the new commission will be asked at today's 6 p.m. meeting at City Hall by the city administration to approve the issuance of the $5.7 million for various, unspecified, projects.
This is among the items on the agenda for today’s regular meeting of the City Commission One of the items that will be paid for with the new COs is listed as "constructing improvements and acquiring equipment related to the municipal landfill," at the Brownsville Navigation District.
This is important because the landfill is one of the city's bright spots as far as revenues are concerned. The city's budget indicates that some $7.4 million is generated by the landfill annually. If it's not listed in the CO list, funds from those revenues could not be used to pay for the COs.
Repairing various city buildings, constructing streets, sidewalks, related drainage improvements, the acquisition of right-of-ways, and buying vehicles and equipment for various city departments are among the items listed to justify the COs.
The commission will also be asked to approve the refinance of $3,920,000 in outstanding bonds to secure a better interest rate, according to the city's agenda as reported by the Brownsville Herald's Emma Perez-Treviño.
If we are not mistaken, this will end up leaving a pretty penny in the burgeoning pockets of Estrada and Hinojosa, the same outfit that did the work for the Brownsville Independent School District's issuance of $25 million in construction bonds where their tales of sugar plums and raisins did not materialize nad the district was left with an unexpected huge debt repayment. The firm still collected a hefty fee in spite of the fact that their assertions that the district was getting "free money" was thwarted by the meanies at the Texas Education Agency who they say changed the rules at the very end.
Oops.
And, as Emma noted, the commission is returning to its old tricks by holding an executive session to consider "pending litigation" without specifying what the litigation is or the parties involved.
Emma noted that a Texas Attorney General's opinion has stated that the agenda item should specifically disclose the subjects to be considered at the upcoming meeting."
Well, we can't say that Martinez did not warn us. He wanted us to "Imagine Brownsville," and that's all we can do now, imagine what it is they're keeping from the public.
Less than a month in office and still to swear in the last of the seven-member city commissioners, the Martinez administration is already resorting to indebting the residents ob Brownsville without their say-so by calling for the issuance of $5.7 million in certificates of obligation.
Those voters who though the old-style tactics of issuing the COs instead of asking for the consent of the public who will pay for them by issuing general obligation bonds were over with the Pat Ahumada and Eddie Treviño administrations were unpleasantly surprised by the use of the same approach from new mayor Tony Martinez.
"We'll, we're back to the same old thing," said a voter who has been a steadfast supporter of the new
mayor. "Why didn't he tell us that he wasn't going to do this before the election. What a disappointment."Today, the new commission will be asked at today's 6 p.m. meeting at City Hall by the city administration to approve the issuance of the $5.7 million for various, unspecified, projects.
This is among the items on the agenda for today’s regular meeting of the City Commission One of the items that will be paid for with the new COs is listed as "constructing improvements and acquiring equipment related to the municipal landfill," at the Brownsville Navigation District.
This is important because the landfill is one of the city's bright spots as far as revenues are concerned. The city's budget indicates that some $7.4 million is generated by the landfill annually. If it's not listed in the CO list, funds from those revenues could not be used to pay for the COs.
Repairing various city buildings, constructing streets, sidewalks, related drainage improvements, the acquisition of right-of-ways, and buying vehicles and equipment for various city departments are among the items listed to justify the COs.
The commission will also be asked to approve the refinance of $3,920,000 in outstanding bonds to secure a better interest rate, according to the city's agenda as reported by the Brownsville Herald's Emma Perez-Treviño.
If we are not mistaken, this will end up leaving a pretty penny in the burgeoning pockets of Estrada and Hinojosa, the same outfit that did the work for the Brownsville Independent School District's issuance of $25 million in construction bonds where their tales of sugar plums and raisins did not materialize nad the district was left with an unexpected huge debt repayment. The firm still collected a hefty fee in spite of the fact that their assertions that the district was getting "free money" was thwarted by the meanies at the Texas Education Agency who they say changed the rules at the very end.
Oops.
And, as Emma noted, the commission is returning to its old tricks by holding an executive session to consider "pending litigation" without specifying what the litigation is or the parties involved.
Emma noted that a Texas Attorney General's opinion has stated that the agenda item should specifically disclose the subjects to be considered at the upcoming meeting."
Well, we can't say that Martinez did not warn us. He wanted us to "Imagine Brownsville," and that's all we can do now, imagine what it is they're keeping from the public.
5 comments:
PENDING LITIGATION OF WHAT????????????
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i don't mind debt for streets, drainage, and building maintenance. Just, please use the streets money for widening major throughofares, like Coffeeport and N.Central Avenue, instead of residential streets in southmost that can be paid for using CDBG funding. Please improve the roads around the airport.
Same old stuff. Martinez will disappoint many a people. I predict he will want to add staff to the Mayor's office & to get the support of the Commission, he will recommend that each commissioner get an paid assistant. Mayor's staff that will accompany him every where he goes to take notes for him. Total BS. Add another $350,000 to the City's already struggling budget. What happened to the City Manager form of Government?
EL TONY ES PURO PEDO.
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