By Ernie Hernandez(Juan, I thought you might like to see my insight on the current City Commission. No, I am nor running for office. I just want to point out all the BS going on. What was done for a salary of $600 per year for about 50 to 65 meetings per year, or about $10 a meeting, is now costing the tax payers $1,000 per meeting per Commissioner. What they should be doing is to put on an item on an agenda to rescind the first raise.)
BROWNSVILLE TAXPAYERS DESERVE ANSWERS
There is an item on the upcoming City Charter Election that could substantially increase the salaries of City Commissioners. Before voters make that decision, they deserve to understand what this compensation may actually cost taxpayers.
Based on the estimates presented here, the Commissioners collectively receive approximately $150,000- $160,000 per year in salary, averaging roughly $23,000 per Commissioner.
But salary is only part of the picture.
Add estimated health-insurance costs. Add retirement contributions. Add life insurance. Add the 7.65 percent FICA match, unemployment taxes, and other taxpayer-funded benefits.
According to these estimates, the total compensation could approach $35,000 per commissioner per year.
Now consider the workload described here: the Commission regularly meets every other week, with special meetings bringing the estimated annual total to roughly 30-35 meetings.
At that level, the estimated taxpayer cost works out to about $1,000 per Commissioner, per meeting.
And now voters are being asked to consider raising Commissioner salaries by approximately 50 percent.
Before taxpayers are asked to pay more, they deserve a full accounting of what they are already paying.
City Commissioners are elected public officials-not ordinary City employees punching a time clock every day. Their responsibilities are established by the City Charter and include setting policy, making recommendations, and exercising authority regarding key City positions.
If Commissioners themselves have said they would not accept higher salaries if the measure passes, then taxpayers have every right to ask:
Why put the increase before voters in the first place?
And if they truly believe the current compensation is excessive, why not publicly address the compensation they are already receiving?
Public service should be about serving the community-not quietly expanding the taxpayer- funded compensation package.
Brownsville voters deserve transparency, exact numbers, and a clear explanation before Election Day.
This is taxpayer money. Ask questions. Demand the numbers. Read the Charter. Then make your own informed decision.
28 comments:
Well the citizens of Brownsville keep electing what appears to be self serving individuals to office. But yet again the pickings are slim. Good luck Brownsville.
He shud question city manager and assistant city manager salaries
And at least 2 weeks vacation too. . .Ni da cosquillas. I hope they get a raise not because they're doing a great job but because things are expensive.
If they were to raise it to 75k, I might run for office. lol! I'll show up with a hammer and sickle flag, baby!
I like the way you drink that White Boy Tea™, Communist Boy!
Ernie is the kind of guy that'll treat and look at you like wetback. He'll look at where you live at and won't question it, you're a wetback. JMON, these are coco vendidos, malinches, and Highspanics.
If you can't notice the microaggressions, coded language, or their demeanor, that's on you.
Please Ernie you’re the last person that should be speaking. You should have been sent to Jail buddy. Don’t question the current administration when you were elected on nothing but voter fraud. Next……
JMON, you can think I'm unfair about what I wrote but this guy voted in such a racist way in the 90's. Jessica Tetreau was way worse though. These are district 2 commissioners that were the worst.
Ernie this is a different time than your era. Back then you guys had 3 agenda items about palm trees on Adams street and you were done. Meetings are 5-6 hours long now equaling to paying each commissioner roughly $11 an hour. Things aren’t how they were back then, you and your pose sat in those chairs and did nothing, I’ll argue this commission is active, this commission is seen, this commission shows up, unlike you and you and friends who just passed out mordidas. Just like the mordida you gave to your son-in-law a drafter who somehow politicized (with your help) his climb to becoming a candidate for city manager, undeservingly, ni hace nada el huevon.
He won’t question assistant city manager salary because that’s his son-in-law … Ernie thinks he’s a smart guy but his dementia is taking over
Ernie in your times you guys did some much illegal shit you wouldn’t know how this came to fruition. It’s called the Charter review committee! They are the ones passing the recommendations to the city commission. Unlike your time in the chair, you brought upon your own ideas on the spot or to the highest “bidder” if you will. This commission delegates these kinds of issues to bring forth “transparency” to the community, yes Ernie transparency it’s a real thing and currently in practice. There’s a new standard now a days with social media, cameras and technology, something you have no clue about. So let’s clear the air Ernie, the Charter review committee brought this forth to the city commission as their recommendation. It was NOT a self imposed recommendation.
- Charter Review member!
I have never cared for Mr. Momentum. I thank God that he was never elected.
It’s a really simple equation, analyze the elected officials that have jobs and which dont:
John Cowen - employed
Nurith G. - employed
Tino Vil. - employed
Bryan Martinez -UNemployed
Linda Macias - employed
Gus De Leon - UNemployed/ Retired/ ran out of customs
Pedro Cardenas - UNemployed/ never has worked a day in his life
- now you can see it clearer, you can tell who needs the cash and who is more self-serving. Now think of those UNemployed and think of their history of corruption.
Looks like a bunch of high rollers milking the City for everything they can get. Absolutely shameful.
Let’s throw in a Democratic candidate for county judge
Steve Guerra: UNemployed
City Commissioners should be volunteers. People that love the City of Brownsville. How about the School Board Members? Do they have a salary?
No, it was a sel-inflicted decision. The Committee only makes recomendations. By a vote of the City Commission, it became an item on the November ballot. The Harlingen City Commission just went through the same issue. Their charter committee made the same recommendation to them. they voted not to put it on their Charter election. They did not want to face the ire of the voters. SMART MOVE Harlingen!
FYI,I was a member of the charter review committee back in 1989. I know exactly how this works.
Bro there wasn't shit in Brownsville until now...
The reality is clear: the Mayor and City Commissioners should donate their paychecks to United Way of South Texas.
The people voted for them to get paid, they didn’t decide on it at random. Paying them allows more qualified candidates to take the risk all whilst being mildly compensated. Realistically 23-25k is very very minimal, some work on projects more than 40 hours a week. I’m not one to defend anyone but someone has to lay down the facts here.
Doro Garcia = Ernie’s son-in-law! He won’t question the salary of his son-in-law which totals up to the same amount we pay all 7 city commissioners. So to clear that up, Doro’s salary equals the combined amount of all 7 elected officials. And to clear it up even more, after 20 years of working for the city I have never seen Doro complete a project without asking for a third party contract to offer to his friends (the kick-back) or to accept to his OWN engineering company! Yes, you read that correctly, self contract to his OWN company as a city employee! Why did the Canary project take so long? Doro dropped the ball …. Again
They get health insurance. There alone they are getting a lot of money.
Municipal officials, including the mayor and city commissioners, ought to be compensated at minimum wage levels. Evidence suggests that many of these public servants receive substantial undisclosed financial compensation through informal channels.
Harlingen, you call that a smart move? This is the same city that made a decision to not work a deal out with the data-center and then ended up being ran over by the state and left with zero incentives! You can’t compare Harlingen to Brownsville Ernie, Harlingen a city of 50-60k (with winter Texans counted for) to a city of 200k that is 6x its size. That’s the problem with your mind Ernie it’s still in the 1990’s. Things are a changing, it’s very interesting that you even bring this topic up as it was passed by the voters nearly 4 years ago. Why a problem with it all of a sudden? Not like you can do anything about it now. For the record, it was passed by the charter review committee, passed by the previous city commission, and ULTIMATELY VOTED by the VOTERS of Brownsville. So if you have a problem with this, your problem is with the voters of Brownsville, not the commission.
If you worked for a company 38-40+ hours a week, you are considered full-time. When you’re considered full-time you must be offered a benefits package. What’s the difference now? Not all except the insurance package but some do. Where is the wrong in this?
Yes, that’s a comment for Steve Guerra and Pedro Cardenas. The kings of undisclosed financial compensation. Currently the city of Brownsville commissioners get compensated slightly above minimum wage levels, so your request has been in play for the past 4 years. The Mayor does compensated more but puts in double the time a when compared to the other city commissioners.
The reality is clear, if that’s what you strongly believe in, maybe you should consider donating your check to the United way of South Texas. Ahhh, now that the tables are turned I’m sure you’re thinking, why should I? Exactly, easier said than done.
October 2, 2026 at 1:42 AM You know how elections are won here. Get 200 of your friends to vote for you and you win the election. Most people choose not to voter or do not have time to go and vote.
Oh you bet Ernie has a problem with voters, remember what they busted him and his crew doing….. a little something called … voter. Fraud. The Feds asked you to leave politics for a reason Ernie!
If you don’t have the time to go vote or go vote at all, that’s on you. If you don’t vote then you can’t complain because you are part of the problem you’re describing.
Geez, this article really backfired on the Ernie camp. I question if Ernie is even capable of writing anymore as his dementia is highly advanced, last time I spoke to him was years ago but he must have told me the same thing about 20 times, makes me wonder where his dementia is at nowadays, probably worse. This may have been written by someone close to him, someone with inside knowledge of the city, maybe a son-in-law retaliating because they select him to be the next city manager.
- my two cents
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