By Jorge Vela
ValleyCentralVarious Sources
(Ed.s Note: What started out as a dispute about a multimillion Resaca Village project by the San Benito Economic Development Corporation and Brownsville-based VARCO Real Estate San Benito LLC, has now turned viciously political, fueling a movement to recall all of its city elected officials and questioning the legality of amending the city charter.
Throw in a series of staged encounters with a self-appointed crusading production company (Dolcefino) Media) from Houston alleging nepotism and sexual misconduct by some officials' family members and you have the makings of a major brouhaha in the placid Resaca City. Dolcefino has denied any connections to Varco, an assertion officials and some citizens do not believe.
A court hearing is scheduled Monday in local district court to determine the claims of the disaffected citizens who want to "throw out all the rascals.")
SAN BENITO, Texas – A group of San Benito residents is working to remove the city’s mayor and the commissioners. They are also working to stop an election that is already underway for changes to the city’s charter.
A petition was submitted to the City of San Benito asking for a new election to recall all city officials. Julian Rios, who spearheaded the petition, says it was a lack of financial transparency that caused them to unite.
“They are just wastefully spending our taxpayer dollars, you know, they paid out the former city manager,” Rios said. “They brought in a new city manager, you know. So you’re talking about. Almost $500,000 you know, worth of expenditures and paying one out, hiring a new one. You know, it’s just that the direction that the city is headed under their leadership is not very good.”
SAN BENITO, Texas – A group of San Benito residents is working to remove the city’s mayor and the commissioners. They are also working to stop an election that is already underway for changes to the city’s charter.
A petition was submitted to the City of San Benito asking for a new election to recall all city officials. Julian Rios, who spearheaded the petition, says it was a lack of financial transparency that caused them to unite.
“They are just wastefully spending our taxpayer dollars, you know, they paid out the former city manager,” Rios said. “They brought in a new city manager, you know. So you’re talking about. Almost $500,000 you know, worth of expenditures and paying one out, hiring a new one. You know, it’s just that the direction that the city is headed under their leadership is not very good.”
This elicited a response from other concerned citizens who said fo Rios: "The guy Mr. Julian Rios is supposedly spearheading the the petition to remove the whole city commission. But the way the city brought forth the amendments to the city charter is not a violation of the charter.
"Mr Ríos also states that they are wastefully spending our taxpayers' money. What is Mr. Rios talking about. Mr Rios pays no city taxes and has no property he pays taxes on. To me, Mr Rios is misleading the citizens of San Benito. This is one of your 3 readers in San Benito."
The petition was started on Sept. 19 and submitted a month later. Rios says they did get all the signatures needed to fulfill the threshold.
Those who signed the petition had to prove they voted in previous city elections and had lived within the San Benito city limits.
Now, the city secretary is validating all the signatures.
“We have our copies and they have the originals, but we do have we pretty much we have, what we need to hold them accountable to be transparent,” Rios said.
San Benito City Attorney Javier Villalobos says an election will be called if everything is validated. However, he calls the idea of recalling all city officials rare and potentially chaotic.
“I have never seen that before,” Villalobos said. “I have never seen it. I have never read about it. This would be something totally new. So what steps would we take? I don’t know, because I would have no direction from anybody to tell me where to go, or to give me authority to represent or not represent, it. I’ve never seen this.”
Villalobos says he will also represent the city in a recent lawsuit filed by Rios.
Rios filed a lawsuit against the city to try to stop the charter election. He and other residents say some of the propositions are too vague and give more liberties to city commissioners. But opponents point to the charter and say the commission followed its requirements to amend it.
“What if it is 364 days or what if it is three days,” said resident Marty Nichol. “It is not specific enough to really be able to make a decision. I think there should be a little bit of wording on it.”
Those who signed the petition had to prove they voted in previous city elections and had lived within the San Benito city limits.
Now, the city secretary is validating all the signatures.
“We have our copies and they have the originals, but we do have we pretty much we have, what we need to hold them accountable to be transparent,” Rios said.
San Benito City Attorney Javier Villalobos says an election will be called if everything is validated. However, he calls the idea of recalling all city officials rare and potentially chaotic.
“I have never seen that before,” Villalobos said. “I have never seen it. I have never read about it. This would be something totally new. So what steps would we take? I don’t know, because I would have no direction from anybody to tell me where to go, or to give me authority to represent or not represent, it. I’ve never seen this.”
Villalobos says he will also represent the city in a recent lawsuit filed by Rios.
Rios filed a lawsuit against the city to try to stop the charter election. He and other residents say some of the propositions are too vague and give more liberties to city commissioners. But opponents point to the charter and say the commission followed its requirements to amend it.
“What if it is 364 days or what if it is three days,” said resident Marty Nichol. “It is not specific enough to really be able to make a decision. I think there should be a little bit of wording on it.”
San Benito resident Alita Hanna went to vote Friday and found one of the propositions very problematic.
“I think all representatives should live in the city of San Benito. That way they know what is going on here,” Hanna said. “If they live outside the city limits, then how do they know what is going on?”
A hearing is expected for Monday, Oct. 28 at Cameron County’s 197th state district court where a judge will decide on the five propositions on the ballot.
19 comments:
sanbene should have stayed en el monte where it belongs, con los indios...
San Benny...where the LONE STAR CARD is King and little punk dope dealers are on every street corner!
Man I voted for this Rios when he ran for school board thinking he was straight up person. If I would have known he doesn’t pay school taxes I would not have voted for him. I strongly believe someone that runs for school or city board should pay taxes so they can really know how it is. Never again.
So much for thinking that Rick Guerra would or was going to do the job for the citizens of San Benito? I gave him too much credit being a retired federal officer who would or should do the right thing? After seeing and hearing what he and other dumb ass city commissioners have been doing, so much for that!
Julian Rios has commented about GREY ARE. So what about when a citizen of Harlingen was sitting on the San Benito Housing Authority Board. The city manager then bend over backwards and found some loophole somewhere and that Harlingen citizen was allowed to remain on the board by then Mayor Ben Gomez. The Harlingen citizen was later removed when a new Mayor came in. Yes GREY AREA AND LOOPHOLES are used when it’s convenient for some. Nobody ever complained about that not even Rios. Yes but now he is cry blood murder. SNEAKY SNEAKY.
San Benito needs to go back to Mexico.
What the fuck is this about ??
A renter who does not own property within the City of San Benito but lives in San Benito has a right to speak up against the City. Mr. Rios is within his right to petition for a recall although he is not a property owner. If he shops is the city of San Benito, he is paying a net 8.5% sales tax which includes a 2% city sales tax.
Mr. Rios is not claiming that the way the city brought forth the amendments to the city charter is a violation of the charter.
He is claiming that the amendments are too vague for a voter to understand what he or she is voting on. He is also claiming a 'lack of financial transparency'.
Personally, I am not a believer in Recalls unless a felony conviction is involved or an egregious act intentionally committing an act or omission that involves knowing the violation of the law.
In this case, I would not vote for a recall.
Just let the voters decide on the proposed charter amendments. To me taking it to court and trying to block the amendments is depriving the citizens the right to vote.
Danger zones are established to prevent accidents such as slips, trips, falls, electrocution by chair, insullts by idiots and being struck by hazards. They are marked and barricaded to mitigate risks.
sanbene is a danger zone because of its citizens they go about insulting the dogs and cats and some tacuaches, this must be stopped or just get rid of that stupid place sanbene.
get la raza de sanbene to make tamales they have a big tank to cook the tamales. BABOSOS!!!
menudo would be better.
caldo de rez or gallina
Una tacuachera soup lots of tacuaches there.
No Menudo was already Mayor of San Benito and he didn’t cut the mustard.
Let this be a lesson for every valley Economic Development Corporation that works with Varco. Maybe better not to.
tell ese idiota to pop that ploga on his nariz UGLYYYYYY
Isn’t this the man that was President of the EDC ? It is said he works at some t-shirt place in san bene. How in the heck did he become President of the EDC with the experience he gained working at a t- shirt place. Isn’t someone in that position required to have extensive experience in financing? It makes sense now why VARCO got the sweetest deal in the world. A track of land appraised at over a million dollars with an option to buy for 1 dollar. No wonder San Benito wants a new contract. Yes San Bene in a mess.
Just look at the main players pushing the recall petition and the lawsuit. Player 1 wife was removed from city board cause she didn’t live in the city. Player 2 was removed from Commission cause she no longer lived in the city for months. Player 3 was removed from edc board. Player 4 was not granted a permit from the city. To me this whole think is a personal vendetta from the 4 players. But that is my observation.
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