MINERVA "EL CHARCO" PENA HUSTLING FOR $48,000 RECOUNT

 By Juan Montoya

Quick: Why do they call Brownsville Independent School District board member Minerva  Peña "el charco?" (the puddle)

A: Because everyone is trying to avoid her. (Porque todos le sacan la vuelta.)

That's because the estimate is in. 

According to Cameron County Elections Department Administrator Remi Garza, it will take some $48,000 if  Peña wants to have a recount of her race that she lost by one vote to newcomer Marisa F. Leal.

Leal had won by 10 votes at election day, but there were still some ballots uncounted. Peña whittled down her election day deficit by nine after a complete count of provisional, late mail-in and overseas military ballots was completed Tuesday afternoon.  

 

Now Peña is said to be calling all and any friends she might have left with deep pockets trying to hustle the $48,000 for the recount.

And district critics say they will monitor the district's administration to make sure that the money does not come from the BISD budget. They are concerned that if there is a way for her and board counsel Baltazar Salazar to raid the district's treasury, they will.

But that may not be as easy as she might have thought. People will be watching very closely.

"They tell me that even (BISD board counsel) Salazar is not taking her calls," a BISD insider told El Rrun-Rrun. She might have to take out loan from a bank if she comes up short. As tight as she is, it's doubtful she will do that."

Salazar would be a likely source of funds, because his $325,000 a year gig as board counsel has depended on Peña, who championed his hiring in April 2013 despite his poor ranking among other law firms and has subsequently given him her "aye" vote for extensions and raises from the original amount to $25,000 a month today.

Additionally, during this last election, he figured prominently as one of Peña's biggest donors.

Of the 43,639 votes cast in the three-person race 27,105 voters (66.11 percent) did not want her to remain in office and voted for new blood (Leal) over Peña and BISD board barnacle Joe Rodriguez.

Peña was also named during the Dr. Sylvia Atkinson bribery and conspiracy trial in federal court where the former BISD board member indicated Peña had asked and received $2,000 of a $10,000 bribe to push forward a purported film project.

Atkinson said she made the donation to Miles of Hope on Peña's behalf. At the time she was the public relations director for the Christian-based organization. Atkinson said also said she made a similar $2,000 donation on behalf of board member Phil Cowen, who lost his reelection bid.

Elections Administrator Garza said the Cameron County Commissioners Court had canvassed the vote today and that the county judge would issue the letters of certification for the new officers later today. 

After that is done, the new BISD board members would have been sworn in at the BISD.

The winners of the BISD races will still be sworn in today at 5 p.m. at the Central Administration Building on Palm Blvd. Executive Administrative Assistant Pat Perez said Peña has until Monday to petition for the recount, and that Leal would be sworn in.

"If she files her petition on Monday, then we'll start from there," she said.

As to why the cost had gone so high, Garza said the historic election turnout in a presidential year and the fact that early voting all over the county had included the BISD race and will have to be sorted out by workers.

"We have to open up some 86 early voting boxes and count some 88,000 votes that were cast in the BISD races," he said. "A recount would take the better part of a week. We estimate it will cost about $48,000 to pay the elections workers."

Garza said that so far, Peña had not come to his office with the money to start the recount.

Why would Peña seek out Salazar?

During the hiring process, when Salazar made his pitch to the board, he looked directly at Peña and said "some of you" already know me and know that "I won't stab you in the back, I'll stab you in the front."

And during a discussion by the board concerning his termination, it was Peña, Drue Brown, and Atkinson who sided with Salazar and helped him stay on as legal counsel. Atkinson has since been convicted on eight counts in her bribery-conspiracy trial and is awaiting sentencing in federal court. 

The Salazar termination issue was tabled by Cowen, who had seconded the motion by former BISD trustee Laura Perez-Reyes. Perez-Reyes won the race for Cameron County District Clerk.

Salazar knew he needed Peña on the board to protect his $325,000 annual salary, second highest only to the BISD Superintendent Dr. Rene Gutierrez. Toward that end, he contributed lavishy to her campaign with generous in-kind gifts as did other BISD vendors.

Salazar's contributions were $4,978 (in-kind) for paid political advertising, another $1,975 for mailouts, and insurance vendor Joe Salazar pitched in $1,000 for political mailouts, and Liz Vera, Baltazar Salazar's sister and a Realtor, also contributed for mailouts.  

During a past race where she lost for Cameron County JP 2-3 against Mary Esther Sorola, Peña received a little over $2,000 from the Firefighters PAC for a recount. At the time, former BISD trustee Carlos Elizondo donated the amount through a PAC donation which his fellow firefighters charge he was not authorized to make.

Where can she find someone with $48,000 lying around to help her? And what if instead of gaining votes she loses more?