Ever wonder what it takes in legal and management costs to keep the City of Brownsville operating as it is, a well-oiled machine?
The city's mission statement reads: "To provide our customers efficient and quality municipal services with courtesy and concern."
Toward that end, the city – the poorest in the country, according to numerous surveys – has hired the top legal and management guns (literally) to provide the vaunted efficiency in the mission statement.
Local residents put up with bad streets, chronic flooding, and an occasional scandal or sexual escapade from some city employees, but we never really know how well compensated those in the higher echelons of the city are.
A public information request has yielded some interesting facts about the pay grades in the legal and management ranks that run our city.
(Click on graphic below to enlarge)
At the top of the managerial pecking order is city manager Charlie Cabler with a $220,000 salary, followed closely by city attorney Mark Sossi at $180,000 ($120,000 annual retainer and another $60,000 from the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, GBIC, to sit in one their meetings).
In fact, Sossi's take in a year is almost half (44.1 percent) of the $407,000 paid to the other five staff members (lawyers and legal secretaries) in the department. The department's lowest paid legal secretary at $26,416 earns just under 15 percent of what Sossi is paid.
And all that has been in the works since July 2009 when Sossi , Cabler and then-mayor Pat Ahumada signed on to a one-page contract that has netted Sossi at least $1,260,000 in the seven years that it has been in effect. (that's million with an "M".)The situation with Cabler has not been much different.
His department's payroll totals $878,153, with his $220,000 totaling a little over one-quarter of it.
Low on the totem pole is an administrative specialist whose $21,786 annual salary equals less than 10 percent of what the boss takes home.
But on the high end, the city commissioners have seen fit to provide Cabler, an ex-cop, with three assistant city managers with salaries of $119,999.8, $123,600.05, and $139,049.87 to help him keep the city running smoothly. Between the three assistants and Cabler, they gobble up $602,649.84, or about 70 percent (actually 68.6 percent) of the department's salary budget. Take a look around the city and its appearance and think about the legal entanglements that the city has had to endure (and pay for in legal fees and lawsuit settlements). Are we getting our money's worth?
18 comments:
We must remember that the "Da Mayor" is an attorney and like our state legislature.....lawyers rule and take care of other lawyers. Here in Brownsville...."Da Mayor" keeps his lawyer friends happy.
Note the city manager makes almost $100,000 more than his assistants...who really do the work....there is a problem. Charlie is a nice guy, but not a trained city manager....and likely no education related to city management.
Mark Sossi is a total DICK! He is just another ass-grabbing elitist, who couldn't make a living if he didn't have the city job.
PINCHE SOSSI, LOOKS LIKE A CROOKED MAFFIA "CAPO DEI CAPI"!!!
THIS EXPLAINS THE QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP WITHIN AND WHY WE ARE, WHAT WE ARE AS A CITY!!!
With that kind of salary and he still can buy current license plates for his personal vehicle? What a shame that the PD can take the initiative and issue a citation just like to any other citizen not following State rules.
Could you get the Mayor to come to Harlingen and fix his buildings up that he lets fall apart, even after being told to fix them.
crooks!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I first came to Brownsville at the age of 12, it was a beautiful, clean town. I will always remember the city in that way. Now, I just can't wait to get out of town. We are beset by corruption and shoddiness in city and county government. I do not even bother to vote in school board elections anymore, as it is all about contracts and money. Water and sewer lines go back 60 years in some sections of the city. Those who litter and trash the city are not ticketed. People are now driving as I used to see driving done in Matamoros 25 years ago. People in city and county offices take mordidas. In short, this place is a mess. And, mainly, those who profit from this situation make up a relatively small group of those who consider themselves "elite." But thank God we ran the Anglos out of city hall and the courthouse!Otherwise, it would be even worse. When I was in Class 3 of Leadership Brownsville, I never thought I would see the city in this shape.
Are these people that consider themselves "elite" truly elite?
Back in the day, the Gringos used to fuck the Mexicans. Today we have incest, where the Mexicans fuck the Mexicans. Social justice and progress at it's best.
How will voting for any candidate fix this problem?
How will voting for any candidate fix this problem?
August 16, 2016 at 11:29 AM
ALL of the candidates available ARE the problem. The ones in power and the ones that want the power.
You are correct!
He must be above the law since he has been driving to this day an SUV with no license plates are all. And they suppose to set the example to all law abiding citizens, what a joke.
$200K and Tetreau is making him waste time by taking pictures of her grandpa Munster kid in his chair at city hall? What a self serving pendeja.
And while the city had a public hearing on its budget where was Tetreau? Missing in action posting pictures of her lame vacation on south padre island. She hands out burgers but doesn't have time to do what she was elected to do.
SOSSI LOOKS LIKE A FAT VAN DAM
-CDG
Just great, just what we need are these rats!! And all we need is for the other rat of Carlos Elizondo to run for county commissioner..
No pos si
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