(Ed.'s Note: A tied 3-3 vote to award the delinquent tax collection contract by the board of the Brownsville Independent School District means that Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP will remain as the district's collector despite documentation that they failed to file taxable value audits with the Texas Comptroller's Office for the years 2011-2014 that resulted in the loss of some $2.1 million to the district.
During Tuesday's meeting, even the administration staff confirmed that the audits had cost the district money, to no avail.
The votes on a motion before the board to award the contract to Linebarger competitor Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins and Mott LLP broke down this way:
Yes: Drue Brown, Prisci Roca-Tipton and Minerva Pena
(Brown made the motion and Roca-Tipton provided the second.)
Nay: Phil Cowen, Laura Reyes-Perez and Eddie Garcia
The agenda item read: 6. Recommend approval of RFQ #20-127 for Delinquent Ad Valorem Tax Attorney Services. Contract will be for one year beginning June 16, 2020, with the option to renew.
That means Linebarger will work on a month-to-month basis because they were not chosen to get the contract.
Several people present at the meeting say they overheard Linebarger representative John Guevara met Perez-Reyes at the foot of the administration building's elevator and was giving her talking points on how to argue against changing firms. She did.
(By the way, there's always some Cowen running for some office that could use some campaign contributions in the future just as Perez-Reyes has a Republican challenger in the November general election. And of course, Garcia's sister Gabby Garcia is in a runoff race with Helen Delgadillo for the 138th District Court.)
With the tie at 3-3, Linebarger stays on the contract by default.
And despite admitting that their "complete" company had failed to file the necessary audits and admitting they had lost money for the district, the three trustees who voted against changing firms had different reasons for their votes.
Perez-Reyes said it wasn't their fault that they had not filed the audits and blamed the previous administrations and boards for not asking the firm to perform and submit them to the Texas Comptroller's Office. Before her change of heart, it was Perez-Reyes who had the item tabled so the board could look into the lost $2.1 million.
Eddie Garcia said that it was "not the right" time to change firms, but did not explain when the right time might be. Perhaps losing another $2.1 million?
But the most disingenuous argument was from Cowen who in the past has stated that he would only vote against Linebarger if they messed up royally.
With $2.1 million lost, one would think that would be enough for anyone to live like a king for a while, if that's what he meant by "royally."
23 comments:
Laura, Cowen and Garcia are crazy!!!! How they could even argue in favor of keep the firm that lost $2 million is insane. Corruption in plain site. No shame!!’
$$$$$$
Need to ask them to give BISD a better quote or rate until that savings equals money lost, maybe drop their fees to 10%....I think they should negotiate their fee
THEY ALL NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED AND REPLACED. WHERE'S THE FBI????
The firm gets paid 100k, that is one of their jobs to provide accurate audits to the state. If they can’t do that, why keep them hired?
Typical Brownsville politicians who are brought on the side (probably this firm gives them a good amount of campaign money). They keep their services, miss on millions of dollars on state funding and business as usual in Brownsville. Then people wondered why we are one of the most poorest cities in the state? Incompetent leadership.
Eddie Garcia is a joke. “I don’t think it’s the right time to make a change” they cost the district over 2 million dollars for not doing their job idiot! I wonder how he would think when he was a cop when a burglar, rapist or thief was caught... “I don’t think it’s the right time to arrest them” ..... VATO inútil! He voted for Linebarger even after BISD staff confirmed that they had cost the district over two million dollars because of their incompetence.... but he voted for them because Linebarger gave money and is supporting his sister Gabby Garcia in her race for judge against Helen Delgadillo. Maybe it was Gabby who told her nut-less brother to vote for her friends Linebarger. Vote Helen Delgadillo and show this corrupt board-member that he needs to be looking out for the taxpayers and children of the district.... not his sisters race.
Phil Cowen and the rest of the elected Cowens are owned by Linebarger, Mr. Editor. I had previously posted that Phil Cowen was the lapdog of Linebarger and he would vote for them no matter what! The gringo Cowen who is said to be a racist by his daughters former friend, had said that the only way he would vote against Linebarger was if they messed up royally ..... I don’t know about everyone else, but losing over 2 million dollars of the district’s seems to fit his words.... but yet he voted for them. Why do dumb Mexicans keep voting for the Cowens? Ralph thinks he is Mexican and loves to eat and travel on the taxpayer dime. John humbly asks for Mexicans votes and then sticks it in their ass by renaming streets with Hispanic name to another gringo’s name. And now Phil, the self proclaimed great white hole of the district screws all of the children, teachers and administration by keeping a firm that cost them millions... he rewarded their bad work! And why would they table an item for staff to review if even when staff proved the Linebarger had lied they still voted for them.... they had no intention of voting against them.... just putting up a dog and pony show. Eddie Garcia, Phil Cowen and Laura Perez should be shown the door by the community. They have demonstrated that they can be bought and paid to deliver a contract for Linebarger. 2 million dollars they cast the district! I think that is screwing up royally Phil, you clown!
John Guevara was giving talking points to Laura Perez before meeting?! There was a no contact clause on the RFP. This would have disqualified the firm automatically. FBI, check her phone records along with John Guevara’s. I bet Linebarger personnel had several calls to Laura. Disgusting.
Minerva, shame on you!! You made it sound like the "recent past administration was to blame for this flaw! The years were 2011 through 2014
which included the Hector Gonzales and Carl Montoya administration who sat on their behind and let it go by - too much work. Minerva made it sound like it was the Zendejas administration! She did not come in until 2015 and right away she identified where she could bring in the TRE money that had also been put on the back burner by Montoya. What surprises me the most is that Montoya used to let Atkinson run the district and why Sylvia did not spot this huge loss? Need I ask that question? I bet you know the answer? Now, the want to extend Gutierrez's contract and I can only imagine how the two ass't supt's feel that Gutierrez is getting the credit for all they are doing themselves. Gutierrez has no idea what is going on and lets these two ladies run the show.
Now we have a tie because someone "almost in jail" can not vote!
Shame on Laura and Minnie for suggesting that the previous administration was to blame for this fiasco. This was done during the time that the so-called supt. Dr. Carl Montoya sat on his bohoncas and did nothing but refer all questions to Dr. Sylvia Atkinson. Dr. Montoya flew the coop cause he knew what could come up and maybe, just maybe, his name will be brought out during the up-coming trials for the lady that doing all the work for him. I hope she spills the beans on the Montoya administration.
folks wonder if this law firm is giving out campaign contributions like they have done in the years past at this time to everyone on both sides of the issue, just asking?????? So perhaps that why we got a tie vote right? just wondering.
They should not be allowed to take political contributions from them that is definitely a conflict of interest.
This company is notorious for contributing to political candidates to keep or get contracts. All this information us available just for the asking from the city, school district, county.
Without real public debates, that’s how it’s done.
the answer to 11:23am is OF COURSE what needs to be done now is call the FBI and re-interview you know who...
Erasmo would have voted for Linebarger and so would Sylvia Atkinson. Sylvia was notorious for taking their money and Erasmo’s nephew is going out with Monica Solis, she is an attorney with Linebarger and pays Laura Perez’s lunches and drinks on the company card.... the nephew of Erasmo works for Elia Cornejo Lopez.... and Erasmo would have voted for them no doubt about it. Notice he hasn’t posted or said anything against Linebarger. Que paso queso? No que muy para la gente y todo ese rollo que ya no tu te crees!
Linebarger are corrupt as they come and they know all they have to do is donate a couple of hundred dollars to the naive elected officials and then they ask them to give them millions in contracts... and if they happen to cost you a couple of million.... hey, water under the bridge, we promise we won’t do it again. Tony Yzaguirre loves Linebarger.... they have greased his palms for decades! What ever happened to Tony Yzaguirre’s employee who bought up thousands of foreclosed properties? The properties foreclosed by Linebarger... and sold to Tony Menchaca, who worked for Tony Yzaguirre? Linebarger even moves into a building Menchaca use-to occupy and now they work out of there. You don’t think Tony Y. Was profiting from those foreclosures do you? Nahhh! Linebarger wouldn’t give first pickings on those foreclosed properties to Yzaguirrez’ confidant and employee would they.... Nahhh! I’m thinking crazy.... it was just a coincidence an employee from Yzaguirre’s office bought all those thousands of properties.... on a Cameron County salary! Can you say payback for giving us the County contract? If Luis Saenz wanted to nail Toby he should have looked into this.... he would have taken down Linebarger with him. But there is no way Linebarger has given contributions to the D.A. .....Nahhhh
Remember Peyton Place? Someone needs to make a movie about the officials at BISD and not the kids movie Sylvia got in trouble for. I am sure Rick Ruenes would open up the Fiesta Drive Inn so we could all go see the movie at 40 cents a car load. Verdad, Rick?
Go to la 421 neighborhood and you will see almost ALL houses are foreclosed check it out and we have elected officials that don't pay a cent of taxas
clowns
Tired of elected officials with hidden agendas to suit their needs and their families.
and where would he put the dive inn in the HEB parking lot? just askin'
Mer-Wes is the only drive inn in the RGV do we need two?
What! Nothing but crooks! Lost $2.1 million? What, did they give it to another construction company?
Puro ratas!
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