"Can you post again the list of city directors that get a car allowance and how much they get?" on EVEN THOUGH NOT IN THE CITY CHARTER, $91,350 PAID FOUR COMMISSIONERS IN CAR ALLOWANCE SINCE COURT RULING
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By Juan Montoya
On March 2007, after years of hearing city residents complain about how the commissioners of the city were illegally receiving benefits, a group called the Brownsville Good Government League filed a lawsuit against the City of Brownsville and its commissioners charging the benefits they received were contrary to the City Charter.
A slew of city commissioners since Henry Gonzalez was
city mayor in 2000 had accepted health and life insurance benefits and
then in 2004-2005, when Treviño became mayor, they started receiving
auto allowances as well.
Former Brownsville Mayor Eddie Treviño, former commissioners Carlos Cisneros, Sally Miniel Arroyo, Longoria and Ernie Hernandez, were receiving about $90,000 combined in compensation per fiscal year, the group noted.
GGL member, the late Moses Sorola at the time noted that Brownsville voters rejected the commission’s proposal in an election held November 2005 to amend the City Charter in order to allow them to set their pay. The charter only provides for monthly stipends not exceeding $50 for attending meetings.
“They ignored the voters and continued to pay themselves,” Sorola told the reporter of the local daily.
The amount, Sorola pointed out, did not include medical claims that the city had paid for them and some of their family members.
Sorola and the group's action drew outrage from at least one commissioner, Rick Longoria.
The Good Government League can “do whatever they want,” he said.
“They want to make a damn show out of everything.”
Longoria, who represents district 1, said at the time that he had “no choice” but to accept health insurance and other benefits from the city.
On May 7 of that year, District Judge Janet Leal rejected Longoria's indignation and agreed with the GGL and city officials were made to end the benefits, even though it took them a full month after the court had issued its order. Leal set the amount of auto allowances per commissioner at $350 each per month.
That amounts to $16,800 a year, far more than the charter authorizes. At-large commissioers Cesar de Leon and Rose Gowen opted not to receive the stipend as diod Da Mayor Tony Martinez.
Former Brownsville Mayor Eddie Treviño, former commissioners Carlos Cisneros, Sally Miniel Arroyo, Longoria and Ernie Hernandez, were receiving about $90,000 combined in compensation per fiscal year, the group noted.
GGL member, the late Moses Sorola at the time noted that Brownsville voters rejected the commission’s proposal in an election held November 2005 to amend the City Charter in order to allow them to set their pay. The charter only provides for monthly stipends not exceeding $50 for attending meetings.
“They ignored the voters and continued to pay themselves,” Sorola told the reporter of the local daily.
The amount, Sorola pointed out, did not include medical claims that the city had paid for them and some of their family members.
Sorola and the group's action drew outrage from at least one commissioner, Rick Longoria.
The Good Government League can “do whatever they want,” he said.
“They want to make a damn show out of everything.”
Longoria, who represents district 1, said at the time that he had “no choice” but to accept health insurance and other benefits from the city.
On May 7 of that year, District Judge Janet Leal rejected Longoria's indignation and agreed with the GGL and city officials were made to end the benefits, even though it took them a full month after the court had issued its order. Leal set the amount of auto allowances per commissioner at $350 each per month.
That amounts to $16,800 a year, far more than the charter authorizes. At-large commissioers Cesar de Leon and Rose Gowen opted not to receive the stipend as diod Da Mayor Tony Martinez.
Fixed amount payments have the
look and feel of compensation, the same topic that was addressed years
ago by Judge Leal.The Brownsville city charter specifies the "compensation" that they should receive.
Section 13. Compensation.
The mayor and city commissioners elected after the adoption of this amendment shall each receive as compensation for their services during their term of office the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) for their attendance for the full duration of each regular and special meeting; provided, however, that in no event shall they be paid for more than two regular and three special meetings in any one calendar month.
Since we first posted the note, we have also asked for information of City Secretary Michael Lopez about the total amount that the four city commissioners have received so far since Leal's order. Below is the total for the four. Lopez, to his credit, promptly sent us back the information below.
Commissioner District 1
$350.00 monthly check
Ricardo Longoria, since 05/09/2003 12 years, eight months: 149 months: $52,150
Commissioner District 2
$350.00 monthly check
Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa since 10/01/2013, 2 years 3 months: 27 months: $9,450
Commissioner 3
$350.00 monthly check
Deborah Portillo since 07/02/2013, 2 years, six months: 30 months: $10,500
Commissioner District 4
$350.00 montly check
John Villarreal since 06/23/2011: 4 years, 7 months: 55 months: $19,250
Total paid to four commissioners: $91,350
9 comments:
$91,350 for almost 22 combined years of service, that's not bad. At $4,200/year that's way below minimum wage. That's even less than what these candidates pay you, Juan! Why don't you post their travel? Maybe because your homeboy De Leon likes those perks which total to way more than the travel allowance given to the others? No seas mammon.
Waste of taxpayers monies that's all this is. If the charter says NO, then it should be NO. Why bend the rules??? Do taxpayers ever get a break? NO. Then why should elected officials and as for City employees if they drive a city vehicle? Why the car allowance? Just so they can get some extra income, if that's the point then include it in their salary so it can be accounted for in their W2 forms at the end of the year. Mamones that's all I see. ,
Someone hit the nail on the head. Cesar is a Mexican-style politician--shameless and feels entitled to the perks because he "earned" it. If you thought the mayor was good at spending taxpayer dollars on traveling all over the country and world, watch out for Cesar, he's right on Tony's heels.
There is no justification at all to pay directors car allowances, there are plenty of city cars or trucks that they can utilize instead of paying them. No wonder many of these directors have very nice cars, at the expense of the taxpayers. The city commission should consider very seriously ending this extra pay, it is just a waste of money. Hundreds of thousands can be saved over the years, make them drive city cars. After all, many of them don't go anywhere during the workday but go to lunch.
Of course Kalifa says that we are not poor down here? The one who needs a nose job gets a nice check every month? What happen to being in office without getting financial gain? Oh, the Democrats take after the Republicans, make money.
Directors earn very nice salaries, they should be ashamed of themselves by taking the car allowances since most city employees barely make it paycheck to paycheck. Hope the city commission take decisive action and end this extra and needless expense. Let them drive city cars and use that money for something good for the community. This is a waste of our tax dollars.
Directors earn very nice salaries, they should be ashamed of themselves by taking the car allowances since most city employees barely make it paycheck to paycheck. Hope the city commission take decisive action and end this extra and needless expense. Let them drive city cars and use that money for something good for the community. This is a waste of our tax dollars.
Did you read the same article I did? It says De Leon opted out of this benefit.
Thank you for posting this information. It is very important.
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