Tuesday, September 7, 2021

CITY BUDGET TABLED; LIBRARY, MUNICIPAL COURT, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING QUESTIONS REMAIN

 Special to El Rrun-Rrun

It won't be until the September 21 city commission meeting before the City Library, Municipal Courts and Commission and Marketing departments' requests will be funded depending on them being more forthcoming with answers to city commissioners questions.

Commissioner Roy De los Santos said he had been attempting to get information from these departments' staffs and they had not been completely forthcoming on his questions related to the 2021-2022 budget deliberations.

Although Mayor Trey Mendez said he was ready to vote on the budget approval, commissioner Rose Gowen withdrew her motion to approve to allow De los Santos to gather his information from the departments before he voted on the items. 

When Mendez probed to get De los Santos to state his objections to the departments' budget, De los Santos said he needed to receive the information from the departments before he could specify his objections or approval.

"I have some questions of some of the Hot Tax funding and other issues and have not been able to get it from the staffs," he said. "I'd rather we table until they're more forthcoming."

It is doubtful that the complete budget or tax rate will change even if there are some changes that might be affected. However, City Manager Noel Bernal said the numbers would not be available until De los Santos' questions have been satisfactorily answered.  

With Mendez voting "nay," the item was tabled. It will be brought back to the commission Sept. 21.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

*City Library, Municipal Courts, Communications and Marketing Departments…

Anonymous said...

Where was Tetreu during this meeting to approve budgets?

Taking care of her priorities….her beloved Tesla

Anonymous said...

Kudos to Commissioner De Los Santos for exercising his authority to get answers. Some department directors either don't want to cooperate or are trying to provise the wrong information to cover up mismanagement of their operations.

Anonymous said...



forthcoming, eh?

Anonymous said...

They do advertising for private owned companies and ya all know who's companies they belong to

Anonymous said...

Juanito list the employees that work in that department and their salaries...

Anonymous said...

Hopefully, the city Commission will not allocate funds for useless Cylovias that only drain departments budgets and also incur needless overtime pay. With the pandemic still raging, common sense will dictate not to hold these types of events, some people do don't have common sense and will push to hold them anyway.

Anonymous said...



If leaders are asking, it's because they have plans for those funds. it's never about doing what is right, more like doing what is right for them and their special projects

Brownsville leaders, will always be Brownsville leaders.

Anonymous said...

Kudos to Commissioner Roy for questioning the Library under the new director.

Anonymous said...

Juan sometimes the city staff or dept heads are not allowed (or are told to ) not to share info or ideas from their depts as per CM orders.

Anonymous said...

I want to know how they spend the money? Which companies are getting the funds? Whose family is getting paid? Which "pet projects" are being funded"?

It's about friends and family and tons of double dipping.

The problem is the truth..is it tends to splatter everywhere.

Anonymous said...

Roy don't let them bamboozled you when your finished with that mess take a good look at PUB and all thier bullchit.We need commissioners with guts to do the right thing not just talk about it and do nothing for the people of Brownsville.

Anonymous said...

List who gets the hot funds and how they spend it (List those vendors). Then it will be a bit more transparent and clear.

I assume all the vendors are qualified vendors cleared by the city? They should be as it is tax payer funds. Hopefully no double dipping, and "arms distance" from board members/elected officials etc.

Anonymous said...

With Lupe the non-CPA in charge, good luck.

Anonymous said...

FIX OUR DAMN STREETS!! THERE IS NEVER MONEY FOR FIXING OUR STREETS THESE CLOWNS OF CITY COMMISSIONERS NEVER KEEP THEIR WORD. WORRIED ABOUT THE LIBRARY!! COME ON!! MRS.TESLA BLUE DRESS THAT I WEAR ALL THE TIME TETREU I TOLD HER WHEN ARE YOU FIXING AUSTIN RD....WHEN? ITS 2021 AND AUSTIN RD. JUST PATCHED !! FIX OUR STREETS FIRST THEN WE WORRY ABOUT OUR LIBRARY AND THE REST.

Anonymous said...

The city of browntown does not have to balance a budget because it has pub as a piggy bank. Which is why your utility bill is so high. Add in pure incompetence in city leadership and at pub and you are double fucked. But lucky for them, most of you all are to stupid to understand all that.

Anonymous said...

Can’t fix the streets with HOT funds. But you can make sure all your friends and family get contracts paid for by HOT funds.

Plus, you can pay staff and build a little empire….

I hope this is about transparency and NOT about control.

The only thing that really brings tourism to brownsville is the zoo and charro days—- maybe a few weddings and such….brought in some. But mostly the zoo, charro days and spring break (SPI). But Spi don’t count….

Bigger problem is all the “outsiders administrators” don’t return calls and bringing in big projects -who don’t appear to be living up to the hype.

Anonymous said...

There's no funding to repair other streets besides downtown. Have you all noticed almost all downtown streets are being repaved? Especially the streets where some members of the city commission own businesses. What a coincidence.

Anonymous said...

Folks city knows that money (taxes) are coming regardless, they claim they keep the tax rate low like last years rate but when your property values go up via the Cameron Appraisal District staff and workers REALLY what can the taxpayers do? We ARE SCREWED ALL THE WAY AROUND, City, PUB, County, Port, TSC CCRMA, TAXES TAXES and MORE TAXES and FEES. Never stops.

Anonymous said...

Juan remember Death and Taxes only two guarantees in life

Anonymous said...

While you are at it...ask about who got the funds for downtown projects? Which companies?

Anonymous said...

September 9, 2021 at 12:41 PM

Y los mamones que no pagan taxes most elected city and county officials y sus lambiscones y familias no pagan property taxes. VOTE ALL OF THEM OUT

rita