Guess how much Lenny Perez, Brownsville's Fire Department chief, has cost the city in mediation charges to Harlingen-based Denton, Navarro, Rocha and Bernal?
You know the firm. They are the ones that rather than taking a case to court seek instead to "mediate," resulting in hefty legal fees for themselves. Other bloggers (notably Jim Barton of Mean Mister Brownsville) have outlined the strategy of delay and profit favored by Navarro and his team. Perez, no mental heavyweight, is gullible enough to bite and dole out the big bucks to have the lawyers defend his indefensible management decisions.
To date, we know of no cases where Perez has prevailed against the firefighters under his inept charge. In fact, Barton has documented that the "city has lost 24 of the last 26 arbitration cases, a whopping 92.3 percent of cases, handsomely enriching Navarro, but not doing much for the city's already challenged budget."
We did an information request to see just how much the Brownsville taxpayer has doled out for Lenny's bludgeon management style and found out that the Navarro firm has earned a pretty penny stringing him along.In repetitive notations of "legal services rendered to the fire department," Navarro racked up $109,488.74 for the period from October 2010 to September 30, 2011.
The next year, from October 2011 to September 30, 2012, that total was $129,328.86.
So fat this year, from October 2012 to August 31, they have charged only $37,803.77
In other words, Navarro and company have raked in $276,621 (more than a quarter of a million dollars) defending Lenny's loony decisions of command. If this year's totals seem out of whack, not to worry, there's still a few months left and some invoices still out there, we're sure.
We had been led to believe that the city would take note of Navarro law firm's performance at the Brownsville Independent School District, but apparently city administrators have not.
He was appointed by the former majority on the Brownsville Independent School District to dig up dirt to justify the termination of Special Needs department director Art Rendon.
According to sources who saw the reports, the work product delivered consisted of district-authorized audits that were warmed over and repackaged for the board. Unconvinced that the material amounted to a smoking gun, the new majority on the board agreed to settle with Rendon on his whistelblower lawsuit, rehired him, and gave him a one-year contact at his previous salary.
An Open Records request to the BISD indicated that Harlingen law firm was paid almost $400,000 for his role in the "investigations." In the end, all that laborious process gathering the "evidence" seems to have been all for naught. In fact, the federal judge in the case ruled that he could not represent the district in the case.
Notoriety has also dogged Navarro who was counsel of record for the city of Weslaco. The investigation into corruption in the Weslaco PD included tape recordings obtained by the FBI and several media outlets indicating that Navarro counseled members of the city commission on how to get around personnel guidelines to promote Cpl. Baudelio Castillo above other higher-ranking officers.
Once Castillo was promoted to the position of assistant police chief, he is accused of selectively sending officers to patrol elsewhere and protecting the activities of specific drug dealers.
In the Weslaco case, sources told a local television station that Castillo craved power and that members of the city commission were looking for a way to give him a high position within the police department. Tapes made available to the station indicate that then-city manager Frank Castellanos talked to Navarro about making this possible.
In the Weslaco case, sources told a local television station that Castillo craved power and that members of the city commission were looking for a way to give him a high position within the police department. Tapes made available to the station indicate that then-city manager Frank Castellanos talked to Navarro about making this possible.
"I think what they want with Baudelio, and the commission. They want a police chief that will then put Baudelio in a position where Castillo can get more money and have more influence."
The city commission apparently wanted legal help on the matter and turned to their attorney Navarro to find a way.
A taped recording caught commissioners meeting in executive session to discuss how to put Castillo in charge of the police force."I think I understand what you guys want, and based on this I’ll follow the process to get you there. But, I’m thinking to get what you guys want, I think you guys need to advertise for three days," says Navarro.
The commission eventually decided not to make Castillo chief because he wasn’t qualified and they created an assistant chief position.
In June of 2009, Catellanos laid off five top city leaders including the police chief.The layoffs cleared the way for Castillo to rise to power at the department.
Now, that's the power of mediation, isn't it?
9 comments:
Haven't the Fire Fighters been preaching of this problem for way more than 3that years ? What in the hell is wrong with the City Leaders to allow for this irresponsible ignorance and waste of taxpayers resources? Enough is ENOUGH !!!
Well juan, when it comes to weslaco and its politics, it is as rotten as they come. I'll talk about Brownsville. Unfortunately, our past and present commission has succumbed to the sweet smell of ["huevones"] system of city charter guidelines. Navarro, along with eddie "la p......" trevino when he was mayor, have carved out the city charter in a way which prevents any commissioner from acting in such way as to try to avoid arbitrations or having any involvement related to personnel issues. Thus saving the city from needless and costly arbitrations. Naturally and obviously, all would have to go to a legal opinion. Take a wild guess on who would give the opinion. Not sossi. He doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground. You guessed it. NAVARRO. Wow. Why do you think trevino is lennys lawyer? He knows the ins and outs. If commissioners act inappropriately against lenny, Walla, there's trevino and subsequently navarro.
That does not excuse our "HONORABLE" commission from being huevones in that aspect. We all know there's more than one way to skin a cat. They just choose the easy path. Therefore being fiscally irresponsable with taxpayers money.
And some people in the city think this good government and that we should protect little Napoleon! the time for change is now.could have settled a lot of this in house free. scam?city manager?whati
Oh by the way that's only last three years ,great for the tax payer.there is much more police dept and the list goes . is it just me but are lawyers everywhere dam wake up people!
The mayor likes Lenny because he wants to give away the tax dollars. Just as Mayor Martinez wants to give away city property and money to his friends, he is not likely to get rid of someone who is just as socialistic as himself. Obviously they have no respect for the tax payers and think the money is there for them to waste.
You have a city government. You elect and employ. Let them administrate. You do not have enough facts to write what you write. Run for office. I know that if you won you'd corrupt yourself faster than shit.
These costly arbitration's can easily be resolved at the Department Directors level. If not there, certainly at the City Manager Level. There is absolutely no need for this to go to the attorneys in an effort to fatten their wallets. Get someone with a brain to make management decisions that won't cost the taxpayer an arm and a leg. That is where you come in Commissioners.
Isn't "mediation" part of their contract? I don't think it's up to the parties.
wow sounds like you sold your soul that's a shame not everybody thinks like you.There still people who believe in character and integrity might want to get a bible or dictionary ,i feel your pain good luck.
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