WILL GBIC BOARD REIN IN ROGUE CHAIRMAN TODAY?

 By Juan Montoya

Less than two weeks after Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation chairman Graham Sevier-Schultz published a post on his Facebook page telling Texas Governor Greg Abbott to "go fuck yourself" as the organization was seeking the support of the governor's office office to promote a virtual tour for foreign investors, some GBIC members have decided to clip his wings.

An item placed by two board members for the today's noon Zoom GBIC meeting agenda states: 

G. Discussion and possible action on Board Conduct Policy. – (Sandra Duran & Dennis Sanchez)

There is no backup to the agenda and CEO Mario Lozoya was out of town and was unavailable for comment, but it appears that at least these two board members want to impress upon Sevier-Schultz that his stunt may have made things more difficult for the GBIC staff. 

Some board members have said in the past that the governor's staff was aware of the post and were not pleased that it had been made by the chairman of the Brownsville 4A tax Economic Development Corporation that was seeking their assistance.

Their ruffled feathers were smoothed over when they were assured that neither the board nor the staff had been aware that the post was being published by the GBIC chair. But it obviously didn't sit well with them that the efforts of the GBIC staff may have been made more difficult because of the obscene and vulgar post against Abbott by the board chairman.

(The virtual tour, by the way, was considered a success with investors from eight or nine different countries participating and learning about opportunities in Brownsville and the border.)  

What changes these board members may have in mind related to "board conduct" is unknown. Sevier-Schultz, ever since he was appointed chair of the GBIC in 2019, has been stymied in attempting to implement dubious schemes using 4 A sales tax monies.

One that was turned down by the board who question whether it was legitimate use of these funds was one where they were asked to provide a $500,000 loan to Nick Mitchell-Bennett, CEO of the Brownsville Community Development Corporation, to compete with "payday" lenders by offering lower interest loans to applicants of his housing services.

Mitchell-Bennett's Community Loan Center stood to get the $500,000 at 2 percent over 10 years to fund a modified payday loan program with personal loans at 18 percent with the the sales-tax funds meant for manufacturing and industrial development.

The plan was touted as an "employee retention" scheme and as a way to "attract' industry by the duo.

The board balked and questioned whether it was a legitimate use of the sales-tax monies to compete with "payday" lenders. They turned the Sevier-Schultz proposal down and drew a rebuke from the chairman who denigrated their views and the relevance of the GBIC.  

At that, Sevier-Schultz petulantly told the board members that: "The motion dies, and so does this organization. This is totally ridiculous."

Sevier is apparently feeling his oats since he is Mayor Trey Mendez's business partner in Dodici's, a traditional pizza joint downtown, and has enjoyed the support of commissioner Rose Gowen who has declared his 7th and Park Cafe "bicycle friendly" and provided city subsidies to advertise the cafe at the local Cinemark theater.  

Everyone, of course, is entitled to their own political opinion, but Sevier-Schultz's actions and words as the chairman of the GBIC increasingly seem to go counter to the goals of the organization he heads. The two board members who placed the item on Wednesday's agenda may be right. It may be time to clip his wings and bring back some decorum and seriousness to the table.