Is Tony Martinez Trying to Force Finance Director Pete Gonzalez into Retirement?

Deputy City Manager, Finance Director
Pete Gonzalez

On any given day Finance Director Pete Gonzalez can be seen waiting for the "walk" signal at the corner of 10th and Elizabeth St., heading over to City Plaza.  Under his arm will be a binder stuffed with papers.  On even the hottest of days, he is wearing his customary sport coat and matching pants.  A couple hours later you may catch him returning, not to his vehicle, but back to city hall for more number crunching.

Gonzalez is one of those city officials doing "real work."  He will greet those he recognizes on the street and will even stop to answer a question.  If he has a political point of view or partisanship, he seems to have kept that to himself.

But, despite his long tenure and work ethic, Gonzalez is under fire.  From more than one source we've learned that Mayor Tony wants Gonzalez to retire, feeling that he has overstayed his welcome.  The genesis of Tony's retirement push seems clear:  "Gonzalez was upset to find that Tony Martinez had allowed his law partner, Horacio Barrera, to negotiate on behalf of the city, the purchase of Casa del Nylon from Abraham Golonsky for $2,300,000 and he told him so.  'That's a conflict of interest,' Gonzalez was heard to say.  Almost immediately, Martinez began to talk among city officials about the need for Gonzalez to be replaced as the city's Chief Financial Officer," a city insider reported.  "Since then, while an annual raise was given to Assistant City Manager Jeff Johnston, Gonzalez, who serves in the dual role of Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, was passed over for a raise."

Ramiro Gonzalez

Another city department continues without a chief administrator.  Since the ouster of City Planning Director Ben Medina, the planning department has been without a lead officer.  Robert C. Luna, noted for his confused presentations before the City Commission, has not been utilized recently to articulate proposed planning changes.  Ramiro Gonzalez has been in that role, seemingly in audition for the Chief Planning Officer position.  A city staffer gave us this comment:  "Martinez wants to see if Ramiro will do his bidding.  If he gives Tony what he wants, he will be supported for the position.(As noted on this blog, it was Ramiro Gonzalez who gave UTB officials tours of City Plaza recently to give them an idea of what Tony was proposing to gift or lease.  Several city commissioners were kept in the dark as to this maneuver.)

Oscar Garcia, Jr.

Another poorly kept city secret is that Mayor Martinez wants to replace City Manager Charlie Cabler with Juliet Garcia's son Oscar, who currently has token employment "running" Su Clinica Familiar's Department of Operations and Development. Oscar Garcia, Jr. recently played a prominent role in the campaign of Debbie Portillo for City Commissioner and has told associates that once Portillo was elected, Tony Martinez would have the votes to replace Charlie Cabler with Oscar, Jr.