An Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between Cameron County and the City of Santa Rosa that cost $65,676 and which the city agreed to pay the county in two payments by by 2017 has still not been paid, a public information request by a former Good Government League director has revealed.
The county had agreed to pay $25,707 for its share of the road reconstruction and pavement improvements" on N. Parker Road from the railroad to San Roman Avenue. It paid another $135,000 for the entire length of the road not stipulated for in the agreement.
In response, the county's civil division has said it has sent the city a bill "just recently," when an inquiry was made today. At the time the agreement was approved by the county commission, Pct. 4 commissioner Gus Ruiz was the city's attorney and abstained from the vote.
(Commenters say that Ruiz has landed the gig again and now represents Santa Rosa. Whose interests will he defend now, the county here he's commissioner, or the city that pays him the lucrative retainer?)
In a non-dated ICA, Santa Rosa acknowledged that it was willing to foot the bill and to pay the county in two payments by 2017. The county accepted the terms citing it "understands the financial conditions of the city and will allow for two payments to be made by the city to the county in 2017."
The Feb. 12, 2018 information request by Gary Thornburg on whether Santa Rosa had paid its share of the ICA two years after the work had been performed generated a reply Feb. 20 by County Auditor Martha Galarza that "The County Auditor's Office has reviewed it files and has determined that there are no responsive documents to your request."A news story at the time stated that: "Ruiz said the city agreed to pay half of the costs for the road project on the south side of Parker Road totaling $65,676 and the county matched the other half of the cost for the road repairs to that section.
"Cameron County also paid for the entire construction of the road on Parker Road’s north side at a cost of $135,000."
At the time the road construction was completed, Ruiz, in hard hat, shook hands with Santa Rosa Mayor (his former boss) on the city-county agreement.
"Mayor Andres Contreras said the city had been waiting for this to be completed," the Valley Morning Star reported at the time.
“We have needed this for the past two years,” Contreras said.
He said he was pleased the community was very patient with the city to complete the project.
“This is a nice Christmas gift for the city of Santa Rosa,” Contreras said. “Commissioner Ruiz wanted to finish before Christmas and he got it done.”
Apparently, the folks over there took his word at face value that it was a "gift."
But two years alter it is that $65,676 that the City of Santa Rosa "neglected" has to pay since 2017 and is now being reminded by the county's legal division of its obligations. County commissioner Ruiz, who temporarily held that city attorney's position, apparently hasn't reminded his boss of the old debt.
Will it take another two years and legal reminders to get the up-county dead beats to fork over their fair share of the cash?
9 comments:
WOW MR Ruiz we need a free road on South Kansas City Road, We have been asking for a long time!!!!! But I guess since im not a politician nor one of your voters, its still a NO.
You will have to wait as we need to extend our hike and bike trails first.
The County Does Not Have Money To fix Our Roads, But this year GUS Ruiz had a new County Building Built For himself and a new road put in front of his office. Also just heard that there was a commissioners meeting where PCT 5-3 MIKE TREJO needed money for legal expenses (What was that for and why!!)
Maybe its who you know. and with my road I don't know the right person.
If Pete Sepulveda got indicted for utilizing county equipment and staff to pave a private road without reimbursement. Then, the same arguement can be made with Gus Ruiz authorizing the utilization of county equipment and staff to pave a private (non-Cameron County Road) without reimbursement.
2 weeks ago Gus Ruiz was hired as Santa Rosa’s city attotney AGAIN. Isn’t this a big conflict of interest? Or this why he was made city attorney. Favor for a favor, SR wants to get out of paying the big bill with their good buddy Gus as their attorney.
I thought Gus Ruiz claims he gave up his law firm to be a full time county commissioner. Instead he’s making $100/hr NOW as Santa Rosa’s city attorney and current Primera City attorney. Also while defending clients against His very own PCT 5 JPs courts. Isn’t that a conflict of interest?
If I lived in Primera where Ruiz is city attorney and the county is paving Stuart place road I sure wouldn't pay till Santa Rosa pays
Yes Virginia, its about who you know that counts to make things happen, not what you know, lol
State Bar of Texas anyone?
Post a Comment