By Joe Rodriguez
El Rrun-Rrun's San Bene Correspondent
Various Sources
The San Benito City Commission met for the 2nd City Commission Regular Meeting of the month. After being tabled on the 1st meeting of the month, the Censure Resolution was back on the agenda for round two.
Suffice it to say that the entire Censure Resolution was a complete sham. However, it did pass with "Yes" votes from Commissioners Rick Perez, Victor Gonzalez, and Daniel Cortez. "Nay" votes were Mayor Pete Galvan and Mayor Pro Tem Joe Navarro.
(The three commissioners voted to reprimand Galvan, arguing his statements about potentially withholding EDC funding were threatening.
The San Benito City Commission met for the 2nd City Commission Regular Meeting of the month. After being tabled on the 1st meeting of the month, the Censure Resolution was back on the agenda for round two.
Suffice it to say that the entire Censure Resolution was a complete sham. However, it did pass with "Yes" votes from Commissioners Rick Perez, Victor Gonzalez, and Daniel Cortez. "Nay" votes were Mayor Pete Galvan and Mayor Pro Tem Joe Navarro.
(The three commissioners voted to reprimand Galvan, arguing his statements about potentially withholding EDC funding were threatening.
Galvan disagreed: “There were never any threats made, just accountability.”
Now Galvan is considering letting voters decide whether half of the EDC’s approximately $1.8 MILLION in annual sales tax revenue should be redirected toward repairing San Benito’s streets.
That’s potentially $900,000 for roads. The city attorney reportedly confirmed the censure cannot legally silence or remove the mayor.)
That’s potentially $900,000 for roads. The city attorney reportedly confirmed the censure cannot legally silence or remove the mayor.)
These three commissioners (all newly elected City Commissioners) who supported the Censure Resolution are the same commissioners who tried to evict the Mayor from the City Commission after, in a previous City Commission, walked out of an Executive Session that had extended way past midnight during discussion to select a new City Manager. The three commissioners had the three votes to select their choice for City Manager so extending the discussion was a moot point.
The entire premise of the Censure Resolution was predicated on a letter the EDC Attorney sent to either the City Administration or the City Attorney. Nobody really knows because the City refuses to release to the public neither the Censure Resolution nor the letter from the EDC attorney.
Public Information Requests were submitted and now past the 10 business days deadline, NADA.
There was not an iota of evidence (audio or witness) presented to prove that what the EDC attorney alleged was true or even said by Mayor Pedro A. Galvan, "Pete". The EDC attorney did not even bother to attend and present his version of what was allegedly said.
Even the assistant EDC Director (Mario Palomo) who was present during the interaction between the Mayor and the EDC attorney (who I presume was on the speakerphone) attended Tuesday night's City Commission meeting.
So the two main witnesses who complained about being threatened by the Mayor decided not to show up and present their case.
A Censure Resolution has no 'legal teeth'. It is just an available measure used by any majority of any board/commission/council etc etc to seek revenge on a board/commission/council member they don't agree with.
Mayor Pedro A. Galvan, "Pete" stated he did not receive a copy of the Censure Resolution until this past Saturday before the Tuesday night meeting for the 2nd time the Censure Resolution was on the agenda.
The entire premise of the Censure Resolution was predicated on a letter the EDC Attorney sent to either the City Administration or the City Attorney. Nobody really knows because the City refuses to release to the public neither the Censure Resolution nor the letter from the EDC attorney.
Public Information Requests were submitted and now past the 10 business days deadline, NADA.
There was not an iota of evidence (audio or witness) presented to prove that what the EDC attorney alleged was true or even said by Mayor Pedro A. Galvan, "Pete". The EDC attorney did not even bother to attend and present his version of what was allegedly said.
Even the assistant EDC Director (Mario Palomo) who was present during the interaction between the Mayor and the EDC attorney (who I presume was on the speakerphone) attended Tuesday night's City Commission meeting.
So the two main witnesses who complained about being threatened by the Mayor decided not to show up and present their case.
A Censure Resolution has no 'legal teeth'. It is just an available measure used by any majority of any board/commission/council etc etc to seek revenge on a board/commission/council member they don't agree with.
Mayor Pedro A. Galvan, "Pete" stated he did not receive a copy of the Censure Resolution until this past Saturday before the Tuesday night meeting for the 2nd time the Censure Resolution was on the agenda.
1 comment:
There is a Ricardo Perez Jr with the same date of birth as the sitting San Benito commissioner. This Perez guy was CONVICTED AND SENTENCED back in 7/14/2006 in Cumberland County North Carolina on 4 criminal charges. Felony Breaking or entering reduced to a misdemeanor, False imprisonment,Assault on Female and Sexual Battery. Perez was convicted and given probation on all charges. This was in Cumberland County North Carolina. CUMBERLAND SUPERIOR COURT CASE# 05CR069122. North Carolina Department of Adult corrections offender# 0963829. The likelihood of it being San Benito commissioner Perez is very high. So i believe the city commission should look into that. If true that commissioner probably failed to inform the citizens of San Benito of his criminal past.
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