CORTEZ: LET ME SPEND YOUR TAXES, BUT I WON'T PAY MINE

(Ed.'s Note: After we posted that Brownsville Independent School District Position 1 candidate Mark Anthony Cortez had a bad-debt judgment issued against him and is negotiating paying another in small claims court, it was brought to our attention that even the school district, the City of Brownsville and Cameron County have a suit against him for delinquent taxes. Details follow below.)

By Juan Montoya

We admit it.


In our search for criminal and civil court records dealing with Brownsville Independent School District Position 1 candidate Mark Anthony Cortez, we missed a crucial one.

That would be lawsuit 2016-DCL-08312 filed by Cameron County, the City of Brownsville, and the Brownsville Independent School District against candidate Cortez that is still pending in the 445th District Court.

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.

The total bill including delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and costs justly due on March 2017 were $11,090.08, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit two tracts of property and inventory at another location.

The delinquent taxes listed by the delinquent tax firm Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson LLP include amounts owed to all three entities. The tax amounts plus penalties and costs for 2014, 2015 and 2016 by entity are:

City of Brownsville: 

Tract 1: $2,129 

Tract 2: $1,048

Tract 3 (inventory): $16.58

Cameron County:

Tract 1: $2,129

Tract 2: $1,022

Tract 3 (inventory)$21.38

BISD

Tract 1: $2,786

Tract 2: $1,721

Tract 3 (inventory): $27.30

Grand Total for Property 1: $7,101

Grand Total for Property 2: $3,792

Grand Total for Property 3: $65.26

Total: $10,959.08