SORRY, GUS. NO ACTION (NADA, NOTHING, ZILCH) ON $$$$ "SETTLEMENT" FROM COB TAXPAYERS! WILL BUREAUCRATS WHO USED PUBLIC ASSETS ILLEGALLY GO UNPUNISHED?

(Ed.'s Note: We won't know how the voting broke down in the City of Brownsville Commission on Tuesday's executive session on Gus de Leon's $ 1 million claim that city Public Works crews had "damaged" his family's property by performing road improvements on the private property, but the commissioners apparently didn't think his claim held water and didn't offer him a money settlement, thereby calling his bluff on his filing a lawsuit against the city taxpayers he represents.

At about 9:30 p.m., they emerged from executive session and "took no action" on the agenda item calling for the city to make him a possible settlement offer.

Lonely Gus awaits decision from fellow city commission members on settlement offer

The land, 10.5 acres located south of the Sam Perl and Mexico Blvds. intersection, is valued by the Cameron County Appraisal District at $250,000. However, it has been offered in local real estate listings offered at $825,000 with no takers since 2018.

DeLeon said he "discovered" the alleged "dumping" taking place last May 4, filed a police complaint two days later, and then said the city unexplainably kept the crews on the property spreading asphalt millings on the entrance and road for another three days.

News coverage of the controversy included statements by De Leon such as: (Valley Central) "A land survey commissioned by the family estimates more than 17,500 square feet of asphalt millings were placed on the property...(KRGV) 'This is probably .94 acres, almost one acre of millings that were thrown on here and about five inches deep,'" De Leon said.

A local contractor commented on this blog that the materials, machinery and labor spent on the site would equal more than $50,000 on the local market, well above the $2,500 amount considered a felony theft under Texas law. 

Just last week, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security took possession of the property under a lease with the De Leon family starting on Thursday, July16 and heavy equipment and cement trucks were seen entering and exiting through the improved entrance and the road leading to the construction of the Border Wall. 

 
The executive session was the first order of business on the commission agenda today and drew a large crowd, the majority of whom were voicing their displeasure of the commissioner's demand for public money. This was in apparent contradiction to his vote against the inclusion of a an amendment to the city charter earlier this month that will let voters in November decide whether to give him and his colleagues raises.

Earlier this month, the city commission approved sending the proposed charter change to voters in November. If approved their pay could nearly double.

The mayor's compensation is currently set at $40,000 a year, while city commissioners receive $25,000. The mayor's pay would increase to $62,500, and commissioners would see their pay double to $50,000.

De Leon was the only commissioner to vote against the inclusion of the salary amendment on the city charter election in November. Guess he had his eyes set on the brighter brass ring of a $1 million settlement (later lowered to between $700,000-$900,000, and lower, etc.,) over what he called "dumping" of asphalt millings on a road on his private property which he had leased to the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.

Up to now, no one is saying who approved the use of city materials, machinery and personnel to work on the road improvements, or if de Leon played a personal role in it. There is no indication whether the city attorney Will Treviño or City Manager Alan Gard will conduct an investigation and question Public Works Director Maribel Guerrero to see whether she ordered the crews to the commissioner's property and at whose direction.

The department would seem to fall under the purview of Deputy City Manager Doroteo Garcia, but there is no indication whether he was involved in the decision-making process in the city administration that resulted in sending materials, machinery and the crews there. 

For now, however, he will not pass, and will not collect $1 million, or any other sum. 

Will we see him file a lawsuit against the city, as he threatened? And will the city administration under CM Gard take steps to clear up the matter of who is responsible for the theft of public property and not sweep the matter under the carpet of asphalt millings and refer it to the proper law enforcement authorities?)

GMB (Frankie Olivo) Podcast