It's a good thing we don't have a debtor's prison in civilized nations anymore.
Otherwise Brownsville Independent School District Position 1 candidate Mark Anthony Cortez would be wearing an orange jumpsuit.
In a Sunday newspaper ad, he goes on about how he is committed to bring fairness to the district and for voters to allow him to manage the districts' $550 million budget that includes their property on their behalf.
Yet, a if voters took a cursory glance at examples of his fiscal responsibility, it would make them question his facile claims.
Just two of them – not including his delinquent property taxes to the BISD (more of that in future posts) – include a $12,023 debt judgment against him and his ongoing negotiating to pay off an additional bad debt of $2,335.61 with another lender who took him to small claims court. Lucky for him that somehow ended in his mother's court.
Mark Anthony Cortez, the son of JP 2-1 Linda Salazar, had a summary judgment issued against him in County Court-at-Law #2 on March 28, 2018 for a debt he owed Citibank. The records do not reflect whether Citibank recovered any of the money. (See graphic at right. Click to enlarge.)Although Cortez's slogan is "leadership that inspires," about the only thing it has inspired so far is lawsuits by his lenders.
And a law firm representing another lender (originally Walmart credit card) has given notice to the JP 2-1 Linda Salazar that they have "recently reached a settlement in the form of a lump sum" for the $2,335.61 he owed on the card.
That case was pending in Salazar's court earlier this year and charges that Cortez (2018-FDC-00525), had failed to pay $2,335.61 since February 7, 2017 on a Walmart credit card. That account was sold to Midland Funding who then sued for collection.
That lawsuit ended at Linda's court since April 2018 and remains pending until the lender is paid at which time they say they will enter a Notice of Nonsuit.The agreement was entered into the record Sept. 14, 2018. After failing to respond to the suit to collect, Cortez contacted them following the posting of the story on this blog August 24.
And, after a complaint was filed with the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct for not recusing herself from her son's case, Salazar had her colleague – and best buddy – JP 5-1 Sally Gonzalez, of Harlingen, approve the negotiations between Cortez and the lender's attorneys.
Cortez is facing four other opponents in the Position 1 race for the seat left vacant when incumbent Cesar Lopez decided not to seek reelection. They are (in order of the ballot) 1. Caty Presas-Garcia, 2. Jose Valdez, 3. Drue Brown, 4. Cortez, and 5. Timmy Ramirez.
As a member of the board, the office holders hold a huge sway on the education of some 43,000 students, and 7,000 employees. The BISD is the city's largest employer and operates budgets of more than $540 million annually. The economic spin off from spending those funds will reverberate across the city and region's economy.
The BISD – through a Tax Restructuring Election and a 11.5 percent increase in property taxes – is now in the midst of a construction binge that could top $100 million in the next five years. It's enough to make any contractor's mouth water. Who will get the contracts, get a job with the district, or be promoted to a higher - and better paying - position, is influenced by who sits on the board, although many will try to deny it.
It is, in a sense, the most important election in the city and affects thousands of families and their livelihoods, and, oh yeah, their children's education.
Do we need someone overseeing its operation on the board when they apparently can't (or won't) manage his own finances?
1 comment:
When he gets elected he will pay all his debts off, and buy a new house and car, all he needs to do is get elected.
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