FOR RICK AND THE B'VILLE COMMISSION, WITH SQUALOR...

By Juan Montoya
After going though the 82 provisional ballots cast in the City of Brownsville Commission election, the ballot board has determined that the results have remained the same.
Both incumbent Tony Martinez and challengers Pat Ahumada are still in the runoff for mayor. Ahumada picked up two votes and so did Martinez that makes it 3,540 for Martinez and 1,469 for Pat.
Sergio Zarate picked up one vote that still had him lose to incumbent Jessica Tetreau in District 2 1,048 to 1,030. There was only one provisional vote in District 1 and it was ruled invalid. In fact, only four of the 82 provisional ballots counted.If any of these candidates wants to order a recount, they will have to wait until the votes are canvassed. If not, the runoff races are on.
It'll be Martinez against Ahumada for mayor and Longoria against Perez for District 1.
But while some may may see Perez's chances to beat Longoria as a long shot, the stench of the squalid revelations that have emerged as a result of the split between Longoria and his ex-girlfriend (and neighbor down the street) Julie Olvera may just drive enough Longoria supporters away from the scandal.
We understand that when Olvera arrived at Longoria's home at 2928 Impala Street home accompanied by police Thursday attempting to recover $4,000 in cash as well as a spare key for her  personal vehicle,supervisor Rolando Avitia arrived at the scene.
The fact that Avitia was present was coincidental, since he is assigned to that shift.
However, Olvera called a female friend of tpolice chief Orlando Rodriguez and demanded that she tell him to send another officer because she thought that Avitia – Longoria's friend – was there to push the matter under the rug for his buddy Rick.
After she didn't find the $4,000 that she said belonged to her in a dresser drawer wher she had last seen the money, she was allowed (and Longoria acquiesced) to keep the $1,300 in cash that was found there.

 "I want to recover the missing $2,700," she told a local blogger Jim Barton.

Meanwhile sources close to the police department said that when Longoria was asked of the origins of the $4,000 in cash,  Longoria said that they had been political contributions made by his supporters.
That statement, they said, will be in the police report filed in the matter.
Other revelations that Ms. Olvera made to other social media are even more damning,
Olvera said that:
*Longoria had told her that Carlos Marin of Ambiotec and Jaime Escobedo of American Surveillance had made sizable cash contributions in the $1,000s through a private fundraisers and cash payments.
"He's received up to $3,000 in just only one transaction I witnessed," she said. "There were of lesser such as $240. The main individual is (American Surveillance)  Jaime Escobedo...sets up meetings with these people...
"I understand he runs a security company that he needs to get contracted by city so Rick is his man to get him to sway votes for contracts. He's stashing it away and not reporting his campaign contributions."
Carlos Marin, who also sits on the Brownsville Economic Development Council and was the force behind United Brownsville, is also mentioned by Olvera as a secret contributor to Longoria's  campaign.
"Ms. Olvera said Ambiotec honcho Carlos Marin staged a 'private fundraiser' for Longoria, during he was handed $4,000. On other occasions, she said Longoria would meet people (Jaime Escobedo, for one) at La Rancherita Cafe across the street from J.T. Canales Elementary, where he would receive as much as $2,500 in cash campaign donations."
*One other individual mentioned by sources include city employee Mariano "Bean" Ayala,  director of the Brownsville Visitors and Conventions Bureau. Ayala reportedly gave  Longoria a $240 cash donation through a car window that was also not shown on the last two campaign contributions reports.
Under state law, any contribution made to a candidate of $100 or more must be reported in the campaign and expenditures and contribution  reports filed with the Brownsville City Secretary's  Office.
An examination Friday of the last two reports (30 days before the election and eight days before the May 9 election) do not show any of the three individuals listed as contributors.

And now, sources in the Brownsville Independent School District (both Longoria and Olvera are BISD employees) indicate that Longoria has filed a complaint against Olvera accusing her of harassment and asking for action to be taken against her.

According to her, the times when Longoria was together with at least two other women occurred during school hours when the commissioner should have been at work at the BISD.

Withe these embarrassing disclosures, will the Brownsville Police Officers Association continue its endorsement of Longoria for District 1. Longoria's brother is a police officer. But will loyalty to a fellow officer transfer to continued support for someone tarnished with squalor?