Each year, the city of Brownsville pays $85,525 in car allowances to 20 city officials and staff members despite the fact that except for seven of them, all work in departments or hold offices that also have city vehicles at their disposal.
In fact, of the 20 city officials and employees receiving car allowances, only seven work in departments where cars have not been provided. The city has 636 vehicles in its rolling stock inventory, but most of these are with the police, fire department, and street and Public Works.
Four city commissioners each receive $332.08 a month, or $3,876.96 annually in car allowance for a yearly total (times 4) of $15,507.84. City commissioners, or those other city staff who receive the allowance, are not required to keep logs of their mileage or destinations.
The four city commissioners receiving car allowances are Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa, Ricardo Longoria Jr., Joel Munguia and Ben Neece. The commissioners are not provided with city vehicles.And while some use the allowance for their travel, Neece said he has used his to benefit three social service organizations in equal parts. They are the Ozanam Homeless Center, Friendship of Women, and Casa Carlotta Petrina.
The other three who receive a car allowance but whose departments are not provided with a city vehicle are:
1. Asst. City Attorney Allison Bastian, $323.08 a month, $3,876 annually. Her salary is listed at 72,275.84.
2. Grant Writer Marina Zolezzi, $72,099.87 salary, $276.92 a month, $3,323.04 annually.
3. Public Health Administrator Arturo Rodriguez, $89,562.72 salary, $323.08 monthly, $3,876.32 annually
(It is difficult to figure just how much these individuals travel daily in the course of performing their city duties, but anecdotal evidence indicates that many rarely leave their offices during the day.)
With the availability of city vehicles to do the municipal duties, the car allowance for the majority of those receiving in effect is money from local taxpayers to drive their cars to and from work. For most of the time, cars allotted to their departments remain parked in the city's parking structure at City Plaza. (See graphic at right.)
Below are the city staff receiving car allowances, the number of vehicles available to their department, and the car allowance totals for the month and the year.
These are:
City Manager's Office (3) : A 2013 Ford Fusion is assigned to the department. City staff indicate that neither Gonzalez nor Lopez travel outside the office very much. Cabler uses his private vehicle.
Charlie Cabler, $220,000 salary, $553.84 monthly car allowance, $6,646 annually.
Pete Gonzalez, $143,221.31 salary, $461.54 monthly, $5,538 annually, .
Michael Lopez, $128,400.06 salary, $461.54 monthly, $5,538 annually.
Total Car Allowance for City Manager's Office: $17,723.04
Municipal Court (1): Four 2008 Crown Victorias and a 2001 Ford Prisoner van
Judge Robert Lerma, 109,634.93 annual salary $184.62 monthly, $2,215.44 annually
Finance (1): One 2004 Ford Explorer
Lupe Granado, $86,141.33 annual salary$276.92 monthly, $3,323.04 annually
Purchasing(1): One 2017 Dodge Ram 1500
Roberto Luna, $70,868.72 annual salary, $323.08 monthly, $3,323.04 annually,
Human Resources(1): One 2005 Ford Taurus
Oscar Salinas, $86,141.33 annual salary $276.92 monthly, $3,323.04 annually
Public Works Adm.(1): Five; a 2015 Chevy PU, a 2013 Ford Fusion, a 2004 Ford F150, a 2000 Ford F150, and a 1999 Chevy PU
Santana Torres, $78,785.41 annual salary, $461,54 monthly, $5,538.48 annually
Parks Administration(1): One 2008 Chevy Trailblazer
Nicole Damaris McGlone, $74,412.21 annual salary, $369.24 monthly, $4,430.88 annually
Parking Operations(1): Three; a 2009 Ford Escape, a 2001 Ford cargo van, and a 2001 F150 PU
Robert Esparza, $72,627.36 salary, $369.24 monthly, $4,430.88 annually
General Planning(1): One 2015 Chevy Silverado
Constanza Miner, $89,999.94 annual salary, $461.54 monthly, $5,538.48 annually
Building Inspection(1): 11 Fords or Chevy vehicles ranging from a 2004 F150 to a 2016 Chevy Silverado
Evaristo Gamez, $70,868.72, annual salary, $230.76 monthly, $2,769 annually
Total: 34 city vehicles available in the departments where the 12 city staff receive car allowances.
Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation: (Why the city pays car allowance to a separate corporation funded by a percentage of the sales taxes is not explained.)
Rebecca Castillo, $84,999.82 salary, $230.78 monthly, $2,769.36 annually.
Some city commissioners say that the 2017-2018 budget process is too far along to address the car allowance issue. However, the newly-established commissioners' audit and budget committees have items on the budget like the car allowances in their sights and will surely revisit them in upcoming budget years.)
21 comments:
Good reporting Juan, we only hope that the new budget review committee spearheaded by Commissioners. De Leon and Neece really take a hard look at this wasteful spending of taxpayers monies. There is no need for city hall/city plaza departments heads to be authorized car allowances since they don't go anywhere during the day except go to lunch. The car allowances are only a smoke screen to give more money to undeserving directors. Hundreds of thousands can be saved over the years if the city do away with car allowances and make directors utilize the city fleet. By the way, the health department does have dozens of cars/trucks assigned to them for their daily operations so the director would not have a problem using a city car and doing away with his unjustified car allowance.
Good reporting Juan, we only hope that the new budget review committee spearheaded by Commissioners. De Leon and Neece really take a hard look at this wasteful spending of taxpayers monies. There is no need for city hall/city plaza departments heads to be authorized car allowances since they don't go anywhere during the day except go to lunch. The car allowances are only a smoke screen to give more money to undeserving directors. Hundreds of thousands can be saved over the years if the city do away with car allowances and make directors utilize the city fleet. By the way, the health department does have dozens of cars/trucks assigned to them for their daily operations so the director would not have a problem using a city car and doing away with his unjustified car allowance.
Public Health Administrator Arturo "La Marrana Negra" Rodriguez goes to buy his barbacoa in a city vehicle every Sunday. Que public health ni que nada, este marrano needs to watch his weight himself.
Y el pinche Cabler.....who likes to park in the "city commissioner" reserved parking spots......que Mamon salio Este vato!
That is a total waste of taxpayers monies. No wonder some directors drive brand new cars at the expense of taxpayers that is. Let's hope the new city commissioners take a hard look at this nonsense. Most of the directors don't go anywhere during the day and some directors that do get a car allowance do utilize city cars to get around or they another city employee to drive them around. That is call fraud big time but they get away because nobody cares. Take the car allowances away for everybody, andissue a city car and save the taxpayers money for much needed projects. Thank you Juan for bringing this to the publics attention.
The BUS also hands out take home vehicles to its employees thats a. Toy entity
save the taxpayers money by doing away with the car allowances, it is only a smoke screen to give extra money to the already overpaid directors. Use these funds for those hardworking employees who did not a get a pay raise. Commissioner Ben Neece and Cesar De Leon, here is a great opportunity to stop wasteful spending, take the lead on ending this abuse.
save the taxpayers money by doing away with the car allowances, it is only a smoke screen to give extra money to the already overpaid directors. Use these funds for those hardworking employees who did not a get a pay raise. Commissioner Ben Neece and Cesar De Leon, here is a great opportunity to stop wasteful spending, take the lead on ending this abuse.
Does someone have a truck to drive around the deplorable Brownsville streets and record the need for cleaning around the neighborhoods, expressway, pot holes, palm trees, selling of marijuana in almost every alley around Lincoln Park neighborhood by Faulk? (Where is Rick Longoria besides flirting with the females at Lincoln Park School?) What about someone keeping a look out for those who do not follow city ordinances such as panhandling and phone use? Look at the neighborhood of Polk and Tyler by 24th street and the mess that those people have around their homes. Use the cars for that purpose. Why not have those who have a car allowance fill up their gas tanks at the city garage where they can keep track of mileage and reason for travel. You see city vehicles at every restaurant in Brownsville even on the week-end and night, as well as those police cars that policeman are allowed to take home and sit over night at their home instead of patrolling the crime-riddled streets of Brownsville. I challenge Jessica, Cesar and Ben to put a stop to all these "hambos."
This is true Juan! Marina Zolezzi rarely uses her own vehicle for work. Instead, she uses the department's assigned vehicles so the "car allowance" is all profit for her. The taxpayers are subsidizing her car payments. This has been brought up before but she continues to use the city vehicles instead of her own car! Deplorable!
Zolezzi? Oh she's from Mata fly's corruption all the way!!!!
Brownsville needs a new city manager. One that has the balls to clean up the city without fear of retaliation from elected or appointed officials. Car allowances should be totally eliminated and simply have mileage reimbursements when applicable. Its not rocket science.
A lot of directors who receive a car allowance use city cars to conduct city business, some even get a driver to drive them around. This can can be seen as fraud (where are the city auditors) this is a total waste of taxpayers monies, Hopefully, the new budget review committee can take decisive action and eliminate all car allowances. Make them drive city cars, don't use taxpayers monies to subsidize their car payments.
Lambe huevos Luna gets a cut too? LMAO!!! He should just get a cut of Cabler's allowance. He doesn't get out of Cabler's ass anyway. Bien transas estos cabrones! A todos le sacan feria.
" Anonymous said...
This is true Juan! Marina Zolezzi rarely uses her own vehicle for work. Instead, she uses the department's"
Which jealous swamp rat wrote this one?
Let's play a game called "Guess the Swamp Rat.
Every player gets three guesses, but you have to put a reason for your guess.
Swamp Rats:
1) Tony Martinez - Thief, Liar
2) Carlos Elizondo - Thief, Liar, Cheater
3) Mar Sossi - Thief, Liar cheater
OH WAIT! What game were we playing?
juan this has been going on for many years since I worked at city hall back in 1986, its just a way to give employees more money. The City needs to do way with this extra cash and make them all use a city vehicle and save taxpayers money.
Swamp rats? Mike Lopez, Roberto Luna, Oscar Salinas, Norma Zamora, Roberto Baez,Evaristo Gamez, Allison Bastion
Commissioners, please eliminate the car allowances for all city directors. A good and decisive measure will be to issue city cars to these directors, lets us taxpayers stop subsiziding their car payments. Most don't go anywhere during their work hours, it is only a trick to get more money on top of their already over inflated salaries. Remember that a lot of employees did not get a pay raise, why then reward a few with an unjustified car allowance. Please do the right thing and put a stop to this wasteful spending.
Stop for a second.
A car allowance is better for taxpayers than a city issued car, IF you can make them drive their own car. With a city-issued car, the city (tax-payer) has to pay for maintenance, gas, accident insurance, accidents, and even car washes. If an "allowance" is given, the city employee is forced to pay for all these unseen costs. City-issued cars are a bad choice. Just a thought.
The problem is that most directors who is getting a car allowance don't go anywhere during working hours and those who do go out, use a city car to conduct city business. They are double-dipping, committing fraud.
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