From the editor: Admittedly, fear of the unknown factors into hiring. The candidate already in the department, the local, the neighbor or even the relative is a known entity, a potentially smoother transition in several ways. But, in a city of 200,000 facing numerous challenges, with an historic, but decaying downtown, a huge student population significantly inflated by Mexican nationals, budget challenges, critical traffic and water decisions pending, a small town style airport a couple decades behind the norm, is it wise to shut out new ideas, skills and benefit from other styles and methods by consistently hiring from within?
BISD: Cronyism As A Comfort Zone
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| Carl Montoya |
Then board president Presas-Garcia, you remember, had already declared interim superintendent Carl Montoya "a fit", something he quickly demonstrated by following orders to make several key personnel changes in his first 48 hours of service, before he even knew where the coffee machine was.
Already in Montoya's mediocre tenure, BISD has made insurance mogul Ted Parker more than happy by dropping a $14,300,000 lawsuit against his old company Healthsmart, money the children could have used. Multitudinous personnel changes have been made with the logic of throwing darts at a dart board of administrative positions.
A beautiful, new high school has been built semi-complete with huge cost overruns needed to finish, then the board does a 180, changing the focus of the school, rendering millions of dollars of facilities unnecessary.
Brownsville: Into the 21st Century with "Good Ol' Boy" Management
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| Charlie Cabler |
The appeal of hiring an actual City Manager is that of getting a professional skill set tailored to fostering efficient growth, wise use of resources, procuring available federal or state resources and skilled labor relations. A quasi-challenged city the size of Brownsville might reasonably expect candidates for the position to have credentials consistent with other cities of the same stature and size; a masters degree in public administration, experience in grant writing, public policy, non-profit management and labor relations, perhaps even prior experience as a management analyst. A nationwide search of candidates could include successful managers of slightly smaller cities or others wanting to make a parallel move.
Brownsville takes a different approach to hiring. We offer the critical position of City Manager to the old police chief, Charlie Cabler, a nice guy by many accounts, but no more qualified for City Manager than a former City Manager would be to assume the duties of police chief.
Brownsville has paid dearly for this short-sighted, comfy hiring. In January Dr. Oziel Davila Robles, a Matamoros dentist reached a settlement with the city on overcharges said to exceed $400,000. Foolishly, the city commission acquiesced to settle for $70,000 according to reports. Part of the City Manager's job is to oversee such expenditures for the health care of city employees. This boondoggle occurred on Cabler's watch, clearly illustrating the need for better leadership.
Fire Chief Perez Shows Us How Not to Run a Department
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| Lenny Perez in the middle |
No Brownsville department head is likely more hated and less respected than Fire Chief Lenny Perez. The insecure Perez has no concept of consensus building, instead using every opportunity to undermine the morale of the men and women of his department. Every grievance is stonewalled forcing arbitration with the two lawyers flanking him in the picture reaping exorbitant financial rewards with each arbitration case Lenny and Cabler throw their way.
Last year Perez jealously fired union head Marco Longoria in a matter so trivial to be laughable. As usual Perez and the city's two labor legal eagles lost the arbitration. With Perez at the helm, the city pay and pays and pays some more.
Brownsville Yet Again Goes In-House Hiring New Police Chief
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| Orlando Rodriguez |
Perhaps Orlando Rodriguez is the best possible man to run the large department. It's too soon to tell, but the pattern of going for a comfortable fit rather than hiring on merit is well established.
Traditionally, Brownsville prefers to settle for mediocrity. If the truth were known local leaders would rather not extend their candidate search for critical department positions beyond the city limits. It's simply another form of cronyism, hiring those already in the system, rather than making a statewide or even nationwide search for the best candidate. Brownsville is a city without imagination.
Fire Chief Guillermo is THE biggest idiot Department Head that the City Manager can't or won't FIRE ?
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Jim, you hit many nails on the coffin. The city of Brownsville should have, or even now, be at the upper tier with the larger cities in Texas competing for larger parts of the pie when generating growth, education, good health care, etc., Instead we continue the turtle pace due to fact that this city is a promote within and everthing local. It shows many of the city personnel who are employed in many facets within the city are all related in one way or another, and fear if change occurs, this would be the end to the best thing these medioker people have ever accomplished. The BISD adminstration for example is no different than a city where cronynisim rules,and creating a betterment education program for the youth of this city will not change due to lack of education within the adminstration. These people do not like change because having to think outside of the box creates a challenge that they are not comfortable with. Thinking throughout the process remains a challenge on BISD. The city manager should resign for he has done nothing significant to this city and remains dead weight. Brownsville should already have way more than any of the cities in the RGV, instead our neighborts to the north of us remain the victors for bring new life into their cities, and continue to lead. This is something unheard in Brownsville due to the fack these people do not like challenges for lack of better words. I believe if this wants to prospur education is key and need to vote out the dead weight locals and hire outside so that good change occurs for this city as this would be the only way. Many people outside this city can brign fresh ideas, great leadership, pride, etc., If individuals want to represent the city much more should be required within a job description and not "I served this city in a capacity, and related to so so, my neighbor works here and recommended me, therefore I qualify for a public servant" Bullshit, this is what's killing the city of Brownsville, and will continue to remain like a third world country, and will always be known as "On the Border by the sea" with no leadership. Just look at all the bickering that has occurred in this city, Judicial Corruption, University and Jr college fighting and seperating due to greed, lazy commissioners, BISD a joke, Police Dept. loves status quo for new chief, no new life there,the mayor is trying to do something downtown...will see if this pan's out for the betterment of the city, Lazy locals still on Texas Lone star card, High rate of unemployment due to lack of leadership within the BEDC a joke, things like this keep a city from prospering into the new century.
ReplyDeleteLet's add another "faux pas" to the city's list of incompetence. For several years member of this community have given time and money to create a "village" of casitas which are displayed at Dean Porter Park from Thanksgiving until after Christmas. The city has provided a warehouse to store the casitas during the year. Suddenly, without notifying the groups who donated the time and money for the "casitas".....some astute city employee took the "casitas" out of the warehouse and put them outside, without regard to the work and costs, and did not notify the people who have so generously provided this Christmas village for the community. Why would the city do that? Why have none of the city commissioners, nor the mayor responded to the Christmas Village coordinator???? Why does the city continue to accept ignorance and irresponsibilty among its employees??? We complained that Pat Ahumada communicated too much. Now we have a bunch of non-communicators on the city commission. It seems that the city employees run the city (and do a poor job) and the city leaders are afraid of exerting any leadership. Again, points out the need for a professoinal city manager who is trained to manage the city. But, as your article points our, that would upset the compadrismo culture of city government.
ReplyDeleteMy wife helped paint and decorate the Casitas, it was several long days working in a dirty warehouse which she was ok with, although as one of the volunteers that helped to build and decorate the Casitas she was very disappointed to see them now sitting out in the weather.
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