Thursday, March 5, 2015

Mayor and City Commission Continue to Give Away Taxpayer Assets

609, 611 and 615 E. 11th St.
After several years of changing plans, then changing them again, the city's plans for 609, 611 and 615 E. 11th Street may now be finalized. Three of four small cubicles, located in a single building along E. 11th Street in downtown Brownsville were purchased by the city in 2012, 2013 for approximately $130,000 and remodeled for nearly the same.(The fourth cubicle of the building, 621 constitutes Los Reyes Restaurant.)  The city had no actual need or purpose for the expenditures and has spent the last three years trying to find an appropriate use for the space.


City Attorney Mark Sossi
At last night's City Commission meeting, City Attorney Mark "It's Legal!" Sossi introduced a resolution to allow UTB two year's free rent at one of the cubicles, 615. Sossi's legalese involved a Chapter 380 Economic Development Program, but that's irrelevant.  The city always finds some justification for giving away taxpayers assets, typically to the ultra-rich UT system.

Ramiro Gonzalez, Director of Special Projects, Comprehensive Planning Manager and Downtown Revitalization Director, explained to the commission that UTB students would use the space to make rocket parts as part of the STARGATE program.  


Early, during remodeling, the city placed a notice on one the property's windows stating that, once remodeled, the building would be used as a downtown mayor's office and a police substation. That was absolutely curious as the city had already entered into a lease at 1101-A E. Washington for a downtown mayor's office.  That $6,000 lease ran from October 8, 2013 to October 7, 2013 without the mayor ever using it.  To cover the mayor's financial indiscretion, the city put a sign on the seldom used office, Downtown Brownsville Revitalization Information Center. 


City Gives BC Workshops Free Rent
After the lease expired at 1101-A E. Washington, the city talked about tranferring the revitalization office to 609 E. 11th, but eventually allowed bc workshops, a non-profit involved in bike trail design, to use the property rent free.  The agreement between the City of Brownsville and bc workshops calls for the firm to pay the city $800 per month or $9,600 per year to lease the space. The city agreed to take care of utilities, taxes and maintenance. The City of Brownsville would, in turn, pay bc workshops $9,600 per year for planning, architectural services and community capacity building including gallery exhibits, curated panel or speaker series and coordination of pubic use of the common meeting space.  In other words:  FREE RENT.

So three properties are taken off the tax rolls, purchased and remodeled with tax dollars, then given occupancy without rent.  Who in the hell is protecting taxpayer interests here?  To their credit, City Commissioners Villarreal and Longoria voted against the latest giveaway to UT.

Longoria was quoted in The Collegian:  "I find it very difficult that the university wouldn't have 700 square feet somewhere, where they can be able to house this kind of project."  (Actually, commenters to this blog have indicated that empty or half-empty classrooms is not unusual at UTB.)


Shitty Paving Job Costing Taxpayers $270,000
In a similar move two years ago, the City of Brownsville allowed UTB to pay the agreed upon $270,000 rent to the city by "paving" the parking lot. Without any soil preparation,  some loose gravel was spread to satisfy the lease.  Mayor Tony Martinez, City Manager Charlie Cabler and the City Commission "spent" $270,000 of hard-earned taxpayer dollars on a totally shitty job none of them would have accepted in their own driveways.

For some who still wonder why many in the city read the blogs, including this part-time one, the Brownsville Herald has reported NONE of the details noted above.  

18 comments:

  1. All u do is bitch, Barton., Get your lard ass out there and do something about it, you sonofabitch!

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    1. Shut up Ramiro. Shining the light on this bullshit is doing plenty. Thanks Jim & Nena.

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  2. Actually, it's not Ramiro, but a guy named Duardo. He makes a comment similar to the one above within a minute or two of every posted story.

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    1. no, it's Ramiro. no question.

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    2. Jim is maybe right, but it still could be Ramiro. nobody likes him.

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    3. Jim, could you delete my last comment and replace it with:

      Only one person likes Ramiro and that is Jonathon Gracia, who he endorsed for what that was worth.

      Delete
    4. (He makes a comment similar to the one above within a minute or two of every posted story.)

      On topa, he's gay as hell.
      Dags.

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  3. Why should we "give" anything to UTB......when its going to disappear this fall and become UTRGV. Tony Martinez buys property for which we have no need and wastes tax dollars for NADA.

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  4. Hey Ricky boy! Wondering about 700 square feet when you were busy trying to give them greedy buzzards 49 square acres? I'll bet they could have squeezed that project in there! And while we are at it, how many of Emperor Tony's give aways did you vote against before you figured that your nuts were in danger come election time? How are you feeling about odor mitigation now? I have been smelling a lot of rat as of late, myself. Who do you have left now that you have had to turn your back on Rose and Tony? Bet they are smelling rat, too!

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  5. Jim quit picking on Ramiro.He can't help it. So much ass to kiss and only 2 lips.

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  6. Who owned the properties? Don't tell us it was one of the Mayor's buddies.

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  7. Are those unnamed space parts and accessories recyclable? Are they tested to be carcinogen free?

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  8. Is this some scam for Juliet to suck down grant money while the students work for free in a sweatshop downtown next to the Ropa Segundas?

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  9. Duardo has an inferiority complex. He seems rather angry and full of himself.

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  10. Tuition at UTB is through the roof and included in there are green fees, library fees, lab fees, campus fees, etc. So one way or another, UTB is charging students to have a classroom. If the city is providing that classroom then UTB should pay the city for it! No rent and zero utilities. Must be nice! Who voted for this?

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    Replies
    1. Good point, tuition at the pseudo university is now at UT Austin heights. What a joke.

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  11. Tuition may be high, but at least you have a lot fewer dumbasses attending "UT". Leaving this hell-hole for an education is a blessing well worth the price.

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  12. Mark Sossi reminds me of that shyster that Harlingen has in Brendan Hall! Lots of skeletons and good at kissing the royal butt! Is Tony Martinez the Chris Boswell of Harlingen and Carlos Yerena compare to Charles Cabler? Are they prejudice too?

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