WILL CITY MANAGER CHARLIE CABLER ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH WITH RETIREMENT AT THE OCTOBER 3 CITY COMMISSION MEETING?

$226,646.08
$226,640.08
$226,640.08

Charlie Cabler's salary, plus car allowance, not including health benefits and other perks.

Not bad for an ex-cop with no formal training, education in city management.

That's an obscene amount of salary for the quintessential good ol' boy, who goes along to get along, but has no VISION for the city.

Incredulously, City Commissioners John Villarreal and Ricardo Longoria sponsored an agenda item in December 2015 giving Cabler a $51,000 raise. WTF???  We can't totally blame inept Rick and timid John.  The city commission agreed to the raise in a classic case of "bidding against yourself."

Was any other city clamoring for Cabler's services as city manager?  Lufkin?  Conroe?  La Feria?  Hell no!  Even those smallish towns would want a professional manager, not an ex-cop nice guy.

Why???

One word. . . . . FEAR!!  

The devil we know vs. the devil we don't know.

Compadrismo is so comfy!

Mayor Tony Martinez

Yet, a competent, educated city manager would have stopped Mayor Tony Martinez in his tracks in his attempt to purchase La Casa del Nylon building for triple its appraised value at $2.3 million, let alone allow Tony's law partner Horacio Barrera to "negotiate" the deal or Abraham Galonsky, the building owner, to illegally "sit in" on executive session while the deal was being discussed.

An actual city MANAGER would be the "checks and balance" so much needed by and for the city commission.

The recent legal issue about an unlicensed ambulance service involving both Cabler and former Fire Chief Carlos Elizondo has moved Cabler to seriously consider retiring.  

Only the sudden weakening of the City Commission with the revelations of Commissioner Cesar de Leon's racial epithets and corruption emboldened Charlie to reverse his retirement decision.

With the dust settled, and his retirement benefits protected, Charlie may now follow through with his earlier decision and retire.

WILL CABLER RESIGN AT THE OCT. 3 CITY COMMISSION MEETING?

My contacts are saying he will actually retire this time.

Assistant City Manager Michael Lopez and City Planner Ramiro Gonzalez are waiting in the wings for consideration as his replacement.

Flip a coin, although most regard Ramiro as the more accessible of the two.

The City Commission is likely not collectively bright enough to insist on a national search for a qualified candidate.  

They like their comfort zone.