The Olmito Sports Park, the Perennial Albatross Around the Neck of the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is one of two City of Brownsville boards given millions of dollars annually with which to play.  With the other monied board, the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation the two boards split 1/2 cents of sales tax monies.  Their individual shares during fiscal 2013 were $4,272,354.00.

Theoretically, the GBIC spends our tax dollars to attract business, jobs and thus, a larger tax base for the city, while the BCIC focuses on "quality of life" projects that add to the culture, education and well-being of the citizenry.

Sports Park Entry Sign

Unfortunately, the BCIC is hamstrung with 60% of its funding committed to an overpriced sports park that sits across the interstate from Olmito, Texas, 12 miles north of the city.  During fiscal 2013, the BCIC used $2,554,195 tax dollars to keep the park going with $550,000 spent on an annual maintenance contract, $25,495 spent on a one-time audit, a whopping $1,973,700 on debt service and $5,000 as a "debt service disclosure fee.(We have to spend money to know how much money we're spending.)

For a city committed to riding bicycles, the Brownsville/Olmito Sports Park is out of range for all but the most ardent cyclists.  Typically, until Metro Connect introduces a Brownsville/Sports Park run, most skateboarders, b-ballers and league soccer players will likely commute by automobile.

A typical citizen, Rose Z. Gowen, driving a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD with a 4 cylinder engine and combined highway/city mileage rating of 24 would use exactly 1 gallon of regular unleaded gasoline on the round trip to the park.  Unfortunately, for those desiring to protect Mother Earth, Ms. Gowen's trip to the park would emit 8,887 grams of deadly CO2 into Earth's atmosphere, an unacceptable level for a couple hours of sporting at the Olmito park.  Actually, most Brownsville residents use parks within the city, closer to their homes, thus sparing the atmosphere.

Ambiotec Engineering CEO Carlos Marin with
County Commissioner Ernie Hernandez, Jr.

Another expenditure listed on the BCIC Expense & Revenue Overview was $25,000 labeled as United Brownsville annual dues. That is an inappropriate expenditure, a waste of hard-earned taxpayer dollars since United Brownsville is not an official governing entity and is certainly not in a position to demand annual dues.  United Brownsville is a scam, do-nothing board springing from an expenditure of $900,000 for the Imagine Brownsville Comprehensive Plan.  This board, feigns oversight of the city and county, hold meetings, even takes credit for city and county projects, but is a thinly veiled, behind-the-scenes operation to steer city projects to the advantage of one bank, one engineering firm and the cronies of one outgoing university president.  It is the scourge of the city.

Tony Martinez' "State of the City" Event

Other monies misspent by the BCIC would include the $1,500 the board gave to Mayor Tony Martinez for his "State of the City" event held at the Brownsville Event Center.  While few citizens purchased the requisite $50.00 tickets to attend, the members of boards who gave financial contributions were welcomed.  Your utility bill payments allowed P.U.B. to kick in $8,500 to Tony's event.  P.U.B. bigwigs attended, but ratepayers did not.  The Brownsville Economic Development Council gave $1,500 allowing Gilbert Salinas, Jason Hilts and their cronies to wine and dine.  UTB President Juliet Garcia steered $1,500 of the school's tuition-funded monies to the event.  Even the South Cameron County United Way kicked in $4,000 given them by the Bill Gates Foundation to the Martinez event.  Oh, yes, the Brownsville Tourist Bureau gave $500.00. Thanks Bean!

Tangible results can be seen by BCIC's $624,895 spent on the Belden (Bike) Trail, although, like the sports park, that project will continue to be represented in "pending commitments" well into the future. Of the remaining balance at the end of fiscal 2013 of $2,481,293, $1,222,042 is already committed.

City Commissioner Rose Gowen

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation will hold their monthly meeting at 5:00 PM, 1/22/2013 on the fourth floor of the City Commission building.  Unfortunately, in a city where the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing, a town hall meeting including the city commissioners is scheduled for 5:30 PM the same night to discuss the raising of downtown parking meter rates.  City Commissioner Rose Gowen will have to choose between her service on the City Commission and the BCIC.