WITH ELECTIONS NOT AN OPTION, BISD MUST APPOINT BY AUGUST 14

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

When the board of the Brownsville Independent School District voted at their last meeting in March not to hold elections May 3 because of the shortened campaign period for candidates, they also precluded district residents from voting for candidates because the next uniform election is in November, past the Texas Education Agency mandated 180-day period.

The next uniform election is in November 4, way past the 180-day period which ends August 14. Place 7 became vacant when the late Erasmo Castro died February 15.

During the March 14 meeting, there was a list of 25 who wanted to fill the the position, with board members picking the top three and submitting them to board counsel Eden Rodriguez. The top three were Augustine J. Anduiza, Blanca E. Perez and Eugenio Longoria Saenz. El Rrun-Rrun filed a Public Information Request (PIR) to get the list of applicants pictured above.

A motion to appoint Anduiza failed to garner a second, and counsel told members that they were not limited to the 25 applicants in eventually appointing someone, but that unless they chose someone then they should be ready to accept "consequences" from the state. The board is now under the gun to make the appointment.

Ironically, leading the charge against the appointment and insisting that an election be held were Carlos Elizondo and Minerva Peña, apparently unaware that by then voting against the following agenda item to hold the election this May they were, in effect, denying the voters a chance to elect their choice. 

Even more ironic is the fact that Elizondo had just said that he supported attorney John Shergold in having district voters choose their representative. He then voted against holding one in May. Shergold said at the meeting that he was withdrawing his application because he felt the voters should be given the opportunity to choose their representative. Peña joined Elizondo and Frank Ortiz feebly joined the duo. 

And the comedy continues.