Special to El Rrun-Rrun
One of the candidates for Mayor, Ms. Darla Jones is the former South Padre Island (SPI) Assistant City Manager.
Curiously, Ms. Jones is backed by the Property Owner's Who Care, a Ray Hunt funded special interest 501(c)(4) which keeps sending out emails endorsing her. 5019(c)(4)'s in Texas can support issues in campaigns, not candidates.
They have been playing hard ball unlike anyone before supporting a candidate.
Anyone who backs either of the other two candidates, especially online is viciously attacked and maligned. There are several hidden Facebook groups where the attacks are horrible on any who dare not to back the LNG backed candidate.
That also is an another issue. Darla Jones and now deceased former SPI City Attorney Paul Cunningham were named by the SPI City Council to serve as the named points of contact and were supposed to serve as points of contact between SPI and the various folks who were concerned about LNG.
Anyone who backs either of the other two candidates, especially online is viciously attacked and maligned. There are several hidden Facebook groups where the attacks are horrible on any who dare not to back the LNG backed candidate.
That also is an another issue. Darla Jones and now deceased former SPI City Attorney Paul Cunningham were named by the SPI City Council to serve as the named points of contact and were supposed to serve as points of contact between SPI and the various folks who were concerned about LNG.
Ms. Jones very conveniently never once performed this duty and only now has SPI designated its Public Information Officer as the point of contact. This was done earlier this month.
It seems very convenient that the LNG and oil funded special interest group would fight so hard to get Ms. Jones elected.
To that end, I have attached Ms. Jones publicly filed Campaign Expenditure. This too does not smell right. Firstly several people claim that Ms. Jones bragged to them that "Ray Hunt" of the POWC founding Ray Hunt gave her a substantial check. Mr. Hunt's name does not appear to be on any of Ms. Jones campaign donors.
It seems very convenient that the LNG and oil funded special interest group would fight so hard to get Ms. Jones elected.
To that end, I have attached Ms. Jones publicly filed Campaign Expenditure. This too does not smell right. Firstly several people claim that Ms. Jones bragged to them that "Ray Hunt" of the POWC founding Ray Hunt gave her a substantial check. Mr. Hunt's name does not appear to be on any of Ms. Jones campaign donors.
Ms. Jones last day as an employee of the taxpayers at SPI was February 28, 2019 and it looks like she first began making campaign purchases after March 1, 2019. This is strange as Ms. Jones was the first candidate to have campaign signs up. This was noted on one of the secret Facebook groups called S.P.I.T. (South Padre Island Talk). Its notable that the post is March 1, 2019.
No marketing company will print signs for a campaign without first being paid. If Ms. Jones did not begin her campaign until the day after she left public service, how did she immediately have customized campaign signs ready to deploy on March 1, 2019?
Ms. Jones is claiming she is worthy of the communities vote because she has "Integrity." An examination of her personnel file denotes the many levels of concern.
Ms. Jones 1-16-19 letter of resignation is not complimentary to the City of South Padre Island, Texas.
On 1-24-18, Ms. Jones was given a very serious written counseling by her immediate supervisor, former SPI City Manager Susan Guthrie. Ms. Jones purposefully misled her boss and the citizens of SPI to the tune of $25,000 for water meters for the ill fated Padre Sidewalk project.
No marketing company will print signs for a campaign without first being paid. If Ms. Jones did not begin her campaign until the day after she left public service, how did she immediately have customized campaign signs ready to deploy on March 1, 2019?
Ms. Jones is claiming she is worthy of the communities vote because she has "Integrity." An examination of her personnel file denotes the many levels of concern.
Ms. Jones 1-16-19 letter of resignation is not complimentary to the City of South Padre Island, Texas.
On 1-24-18, Ms. Jones was given a very serious written counseling by her immediate supervisor, former SPI City Manager Susan Guthrie. Ms. Jones purposefully misled her boss and the citizens of SPI to the tune of $25,000 for water meters for the ill fated Padre Sidewalk project.
Ms. Jones basically was caught in a lie and tried to make her own boss, SPI's own City Manager cover for Ms. Jones lack of either integrity or attention to detail. In any event, former City Manager Guthrie was not impressed with Ms. Jones and certainly did not compliment her on her integrity.
On 3-17-17, Ms. Jones was given a Corrective Action for drinking an alcoholic beverage on city premises. Note that this date is in the middle of Spring Break! All hands are on deck to serve the numerous visitors during this time and Ms. Jones thinks this is the time to kick back and drink booze on City property?
On 3-25-16, former SPI City Manager William "Bill" DiLibero asked SPI Human Resources to place a copy of an email from Dr. Tara Rios in Ms. Jones' file. Dr. Rios is the romantic long term partner of one Clayton Brashear, who is as chance would have it, one of Ms. Jones' competitors in the SPI Mayor's race.
On 3-17-17, Ms. Jones was given a Corrective Action for drinking an alcoholic beverage on city premises. Note that this date is in the middle of Spring Break! All hands are on deck to serve the numerous visitors during this time and Ms. Jones thinks this is the time to kick back and drink booze on City property?
On 3-25-16, former SPI City Manager William "Bill" DiLibero asked SPI Human Resources to place a copy of an email from Dr. Tara Rios in Ms. Jones' file. Dr. Rios is the romantic long term partner of one Clayton Brashear, who is as chance would have it, one of Ms. Jones' competitors in the SPI Mayor's race.
In her 3-21-16 email, Dr. Rios reports that on 3-18-16, with Mr. Brashear and her two young children in a public SPI popular restaurant, when Ms. Jones threw a large chunk of dirty concrete on the families dining table.
Dr. Rios reports that she felt intimidated by Ms. Jones. Further, Dr. Rios stated that Ms. Jones deliberately was harassing Dr. Rios, her kids, and Mr. Brashear because Mr. Brashear had brought samples of exposed concrete to her office four years prior. Four years! This woman holds a grudge!
Ms. Jones claims to be ready to be Mayor, but she cannot get along with SPI city staff. As part of her 8-9-13 annual performance review, Ms. Jones was informed "Darla has a tendency to be over critical of staff in their day to day operations. At times criticism is excessive and results in situations which I (logically can only mean her only superior, the City Manager) need to resolve."
Dr. Rios reports that she felt intimidated by Ms. Jones. Further, Dr. Rios stated that Ms. Jones deliberately was harassing Dr. Rios, her kids, and Mr. Brashear because Mr. Brashear had brought samples of exposed concrete to her office four years prior. Four years! This woman holds a grudge!
(Click on graphic to enlarge.)
Ms. Jones claims to be ready to be Mayor, but she cannot get along with SPI city staff. As part of her 8-9-13 annual performance review, Ms. Jones was informed "Darla has a tendency to be over critical of staff in their day to day operations. At times criticism is excessive and results in situations which I (logically can only mean her only superior, the City Manager) need to resolve."
This same performance review names the first names of at least two city employees that Ms. Jones was overly critical of causing the City Manager to clean up her mess.
Ms. Jones does not let her anger and cruel judgement end with just city employees or citizens of SPI, she was officially critiqued for negative statements about SPI's closest neighboring city Port Isabel, and close by Laguna Vista.
Ms. Jones does not let her anger and cruel judgement end with just city employees or citizens of SPI, she was officially critiqued for negative statements about SPI's closest neighboring city Port Isabel, and close by Laguna Vista.
How can Ms. Jones be Mayor of the town that is the RGV's local vacation home, when she is negative on her closest neighbors? How could she possibility be a leader and work well with the entirety of Cameron County or even as part of the proposed new merger and creation of the RGV's three metropolitan planning organizations?
SPI has never joined any MPO but should be a natural partner for this new and exciting endeavor. How well will SPI fare though in such a large group if its Mayor is so temperamental, petty, and cruel that she alienates city staff, private citizens and cannot even get along with neighboring cities or its people?
Many of us on the SPI are not oil rich tycoons who can buy and sell candidates and try to purchase elections. Many of us voters on SPI are very concerned that there are highly funded special interests funding local elections. This is about power as the office of Mayor only pays $1.00 a year! Special interests are trying to buy an election for a very questionable candidate.
Many of us on SPI fear the wrath of these very well funded special interest groups. Many of us on SPI are not in favor of LNG, love our island home and do not want to be ruled by someone without integrity or the ability to lead.
Many of us on the SPI are not oil rich tycoons who can buy and sell candidates and try to purchase elections. Many of us voters on SPI are very concerned that there are highly funded special interests funding local elections. This is about power as the office of Mayor only pays $1.00 a year! Special interests are trying to buy an election for a very questionable candidate.
Many of us on SPI fear the wrath of these very well funded special interest groups. Many of us on SPI are not in favor of LNG, love our island home and do not want to be ruled by someone without integrity or the ability to lead.
While many of us on SPI do not have the money to buy ads in newspapers, we can at least gather information and tell the truth. It is our hope that you will build upon and continue our fact based investigation.
9 comments:
Better her have the money than the scumbag Rene Oliveria
How do you know that he is a scumbag, he is only as crooked as the next politician.
darla is a frustrated unhappy woman, thats obviously for sale to the right price as she has taken these contributions from the hunt brother to promote the LNG plants, looks like the same thing as tony tamales martinez in brownsville.
Con dinero baila el Perro
How can you answer a post that hasn't been posted yet 1:18 and 1:47 idiot
Everybody is entitled to a little corruption but remember you can't plea ignorance remember that
6.04
Check out the headlines??? He is a thieving lieing scumbag I have the proof.
We need her in brownsville just like the san bene bunch. Bring-em all here
Darla, just hang a "For Sale" sign around your neck, everyone already knows where you stand.
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