ERNESTO DE LEON: CITY SHOULD STOP SECRET DEALINGS

By Ernesto De Leon
How dare our city attorney insult our intelligence?
He had the audacity in his attempt to convince the judge hearing the lawsuit over the sale of Lincoln Park as well as those present at the hearing, insinuating that the city had not consummated an agreement with the University of Texas System to hand over Lincoln Park, practically giving it away.
Our city attorney insinuated that former mayor Pat Ahumada was not qualified to submit an appraisal for the Lincoln Park land, which Ahumada valued at $11 million, not including land improvements.
I respectfully ask: Where was our city attorney when our mayor decided to buy, with taxpayers' mony, my friends's old downtown building for $2.3 million? This building's appraised value is $975,000 according to the Cameron County Appraisal District.
The city commissioners are supposed to be stewards of our citizens' interests.
It is beyond my comprehension as to why they would not take better care of our citizens' interests.
* Brownsville taxpayers received zero dollars for Lincoln Park.
*The University of Texas System offered $6.5 million to relocate to Lincoln Park.
*The proposed relocation of Lincoln Park is next to the sewage plant. Prime real estate – yeah, right!
Rest assured that I will not be looking forward to taking my grandchildren to this future site of our Lincoln Park. What an ideal place to take our children for picnics and barbecue.
Bon appetit.
(Ernesto De Leon is a former commission of the City of Brownsville. This article first appeared in the Brownsville Herald.)