Ramiro Gonzalez, the city's Director of Government and Community Affairs, directs a workman doing repairs on the historical Coca Cola Building behind him in downtown Brownsville.
We noted a post by Brownsville Observer blogger Jim Barton where he wonders whether Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez and Director of Government and Community Affairs Ramiro Gonzalez had bought the old Coca Cola Building.
We did a cursory bit of research and found out that the two gents in question had instead formed a real-state brokerage company called Urban 8 Properties LLC which was registered with the Texas Secretary of State on June 19, 2021. 
Barton wrote that the Coca Cola Bottling Plant at 1018 E. Washington Street, directly behind the City Commission Building, was built in 1927 and contains 11,231 square feet of space on two floors.
The legal description is: Lots 5&6, Block 65, Brownsville Original Townsite, Volume 5, Page 13, MRCC.
The most recent transactions, he reported, was on August 10, 2021 include the satisfying of a $12,396.02 tax lien owed by Carmen Peralta of San Antonio followed by a payment of $382,500 to Carmen Peralta by Joe Quiroga, 4906 S. Jackson Street, Edinburg, Texas.
The only José (Joe) Quiroga we can find is currently President of Texas National Bank and a member of the Bank’s Board of Directors, a position he has held since 2007. His address is listed in a law firm in the city's lawyers' row in Edinburg.
Urban 8 Properties, LLC. brokered the deal and probably pocketed a hefty commission, which according to local Realtors, is anywhere between 4 to 6 percent. At an average of 5 percent, the deal would have garnered close to $20,000, making each almost $10,000, a tidy profit to add to Gonzalez's $82,992 salary.
Urban 8 Properties, LLC. brokered the deal and probably pocketed a hefty commission, which according to local Realtors, is anywhere between 4 to 6 percent. At an average of 5 percent, the deal would have garnered close to $20,000, making each almost $10,000, a tidy profit to add to Gonzalez's $82,992 salary.
That is, unless Quiroga loaned Mendez and Gonzalez the money to purchase the Coca Cola Building and his name was used to mask the real owners? And if it was, can historical designation lag far behind to grant it a tax exemption on property taxes like the rest of Mayor Mendez's other downtown properties?
There is nothing wrong with anyone making money, but when it involves a city elected official and a city manager's office employee, red flags go up into whether they had access to insider information through their employment.
We used to criticize former mayor Tony Martinez for speculating in real estate and being involved in the Casa del Nylon $2.3 million city purchase negotiated by his law firm partner Horacio Barrera, who just happened to be the neighbor of seller Abraham Galonsky.
Now it appears as though this mayor and top city employees are deep in the mire as well. Did they merely broker the building's sale between Petalta and the bank president? Or is it really theirs?
25 comments:
And where's the FBI?
Trey also bought the Caribe building across the street from Coca Cola & tapped BCIC for $100k to renovate. This is the worst it's ever been in Brownsville. Puro estafadoras
This mayor needs to go he's there as a self serving official nothing else HE NEEDS TO BE VOTED OUT pinches ratas.
And will they use Musk money? Gbic money? BCIC money? since they control all those?
Look in to all the property they have bought and sold in the past 4 years. I bet it could be interesting.
Juan remember el que no TRANSA NO AVANZA and the band plays on. oh well what else is new in Brownville, no wonder McAllen kicks our behinds all the time. Puro raquaches y ratas oh taquaches? you pick it.
Nothing wrong or illegal in people buying and selling real estate, even if they are government officials. Now, if they try and sell that to the city, there may be a problem. Big conflict of interests.
Director of "Government affairs " what a joke of a position. With no employees or budget to manage, one wonders who had the great idea of classifying him as a director? A total waste of taxpayers monies, a prime example of " It's not you know but who you know". Pathetic leadership in city government, everywhere you look.
Pinche eneno culero. Keep voting for these Democrats that keep telling you they care about the people and the community.
How much money do you think he's getting from Musk for his downtown building? No property taxes also because they are historic just like Reba and Harry McNair and Elia Cornejo Lopez.
This guy has no shame! He’s making side deals everywhere! Covid scamming wasn’t enough?
City of Brownsville is all about deals. The Mayor of Rancho Viejo, Maribel B. Guerrero, is the Assistant Engineering and Public Works Director at City of Brownsville.
Pinche eneno culero!
Messy
Brownsville newest name:Rataville of the RGV!
September 28, 2021 at 2:36 PM
or buy it with city funds or other programs or influences like help me here and I'll help you there what do you call that type or raqueta?
September 28, 2021 at 7:37 PM
WHAT? and he's allowed into the city like he allows us into rancho viejo pinches idiotas
Crazy. Was the city repairing that building? WHY?
The other pendejo mayor Martinez did the same shit and much more that old fart.
How do you think the Harlingen Elite got rich??? Bad enough that the city manager along with city officials kiss that skinny ass of debrooke!
They can go to jail for this. Hopefully, they can explain this situation.
It is fraud, corruption, etc.
Imagine our Mayor in jail, .....
I hope he did all the bad things correctly. He is a lawyer.
Saw a bunch of city employees there the other day now I know why. Need to check it out who sent them there to work on a private property even if it belongs to the mayor its illegal call the FBI
Sylvia may be getting new cell mates soon. Es maricon so he'll ask for a female housing detention
Anonymous at 2:36 PM you are right there is nothing wrong with a city official buying land. However if that city official (Mendez) is on a board (BCIC) that dishes out grant money to buy or renovate downtown buildings that he (Mendez) owns, then it's time to get the FBI involved.
Come to think of it, the Cameron County, just recently got a lot of Grant Monies from The injustices that the state of Texas stole Royalties monies from the Unclaimed Mineral Proceeds descendants. Check Filemon Vela, he just announced dishing out GRANT money. Check the district clerk court where they get the escheats from unclaimed royalties belonging to unclaimed descendants, transfer titles and steal from the unclaimed land owners. The key is that not even the true heirs of these unclaimed monies are even aware that they are being used. The secret is out of the corruption of how the judicial system ran and still runs the South Texas. When a Cameron county citizen dies the death certificate is registered to the Cameron County District Clerk, where the clerk is made aware of new address and next of kin. The clerk is very, very much aware of who the true direct descendants are. the clerk is also aware that any monies coming in from unclaimed or claimed royalties belongs to the descendants heirs. This is where Eric Garza plays his ancestors card. This is a scheme that was thought of when Charles Stillman, Miffland Kennedy stole the whole King ranch and many many more land grants.
Gordo at taxpayers cost pinche mamon
la culpa es de Elon Musk...un hombre muy rico.
Ahora los hombres del valle quieren ser ricos como Musk.
por eso andan tranzando y robando y haciendo tratos ilegales...
pero ese Musk quema todo el dinero con cuetes y viajes al espacio
Heck, you don't have to be a poor viejita/o to get scr*@ed by city officials. Just look at what Tony Martinez and Nurith's father wheeling and dealing did to the city. We bought damaged overpriced property and still sits there and the topper is, Nurith got voted in as a city commissioner. Someone protect us from all these self serving politicians and their friends. Besides Limas, how many present and past board members should've abstained from voting for funds that benefited them, friends and families. Local elected officials, you were elected to have the communities best interests at heart, not yours, but it seems that you had your own personal agendas in mind.
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