City of Brownsville Allows Lease to Lapse on Office Martinez Just Had to Have, But Never Used!

City Trucks in Front of Tony's Office
As City Workers Remodeled the Space

When I asked City Manager Charlie Cabler last fall why the city would need to lease space at 1101-A E. Washington St. for a mayor's office when the city already had a great deal of unused office space.

"That's what I thought," was Cabler's reply.

But Mayor Tony is not one to listen to reason whether it comes from the city manager or lowly taxpayer.  As the lyrics to the 50's pop hit remind us:  "What Lola wants, Lola gets."

The office lease was a modest $500 per month.  $500 X 12=$6,000.  A public information request to the City of Brownsville revealed the cost of materials for remodeling the office in excess of $13,000.  A conservative estimate for the labor costs would be $20,000 for a total one year cost of $39,000 not including utilities.  An $8,000 interactive TV screen, originally purchased for the office, was moved to the planning department when we wrote about it.

Terrace Suite at AT&T Center

For the same $39,000 the City of Brownsville could have leased a luxury box at the AT&T Center for 10 San Antonio Spurs home games with catering, leather seats and flat screen TV monitors. 

The Brownsville Downtown Revitalization
Information Office, Now Vacated

While I'm aware of the office being used once during the lease, I'm told by a city administrator that the office was used 3 times.  In other words, the city spent $13,000 in taxpayer dollars each time this small office was used even though these meetings could have been held in any number of already empty city offices.  No one mismanages taxpayer dollars like Tony Martinez.

Actually, Martinez NEVER used the office he so desperately had to have.  He sent his heyboy, Ramiro Gonzalez, to utilize the space as a Brownsville Downtown Revitalization Information Center to save face.  This week that sign was pulled down and the office emptied as the lease expires October 7, 2014. Tony tired of his new office faster than a child tires of a cheap Christmas toy.

Notice on Window at 615 E. 11th Street

Martinez next turned his attention to the three small offices at 609, 611 and 615 E. 11th.  Two of those were purchased with the City Commission's speculative real estate buying spree in 2012 and a third purchased when Martinez unethically spent some of the Texas AOP Refund check.  A notice was placed by the city on the window of the 615 E. 11th property promising a downtown, central mayor's office and a police substation.  Both of those plans have been scrapped by the city as remodeling continues.  The final use for the three offices remains in flux.