Self-Serving County Judge Candidate Eddie Trevino Declared "Bad for Brownsville and Cameron County" by Former Mayor Pat Ahumada

Former Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada

Eddie Treviño’s ads read: “It’s Our Money — No Tax Breaks for LNG!” and “What Matters Most? A Safe & Healthy Family,” which sounds like the voice of reason and the candidate to lead us toward progress.

Let’s look at Eddie Treviño’s record, which shows him taking taxpayers’ money to pay for his health insurance, car allowance and other expenses in violation of City Charter. When exposed, taxpayers had to write it off.

I got elected mayor on June 16, 2007, but just before leaving office Eddie Treviño introduced the for-profit Imagine Brownsville/Carlos Marin plan, which cost taxpayers more than $1 million and he signed the terms of employment contract with City Manager Charlie Cabler with an effective date of June 12, 2007, that provided a raise to $153,000, which is now $220,000. The contract further provides a $600 monthly car allowance, health benefits and 230 days (6.6 months or $183,333) severance pay for an “at will” employee who is entitled to 30 days severance pay, as per Section 20 of the City Charter.

I guarantee you that would never happen under my watch.

I recall when Eddie Treviño was willing to sell PUB and supported subsidies at PUB that ended up costing rate payers $91 million through higher utility rates. Now, there is talk to undo the impact fees, which would be a huge mistake.

Both Mayor Tony Martinez and Eddie Treviño pushed the BPUB-Tenaska project that is not feasible, but has cost us millions. This project is like the “bridge to nowhere” at the Port of Brownsville costing taxpayers $21 million and no bridge.

With the help of Manny Vasquez, who enjoyed PUB travel and perks, Eddie Treviño sued to remove PUB board members for control and is now the PUB attorney.

The compadre system is alive and well, which prompted an open records request to see his billing records, which Eddie Treviño has to date refused to release.

The entitlement mindset of people like Eddie Treviño who are given preferential treatment are like vacuums eager to give away our assets, submit excessive bills, buy real estate at exorbitant prices, and enter into deals that benefit their compadres.

But, when it comes to people like me who try to do what is right, they go all out to ruin us, as the notorious case involving a vindictive police chief and the city manager’s office who pushed for my conviction after conveniently destroying evidence

that would have easily showed who took the $21,139 check, because we do not play ball with taxpayers’ money.

Although I was found not guilty and none of the allegations have resulted in a conviction, not even the most recent preposterous animal abuse complaint filed anonymously, they push hard to discredit the good by using the headlines to justify their hate, support and justify the almost worthless Casa de Nylon purchase for $2.3 million; the Tenaska project that produced higher utility rates and empty promises; the secret milking of PUB with what I suspect exorbitant attorney fees and expensive consultants like for-profit Imagine Brownsville that produce nothing, other than serve as a political base for the same who prey on taxpayers.

These same righteous citizens who hold their noses up in the air are the embodiment of bad government. They have no morals, prey on weak individuals who are not independent thinkers and sell themselves for a taco. They are easily manipulated to obtain sweetheart employment contracts or the outcome desired at taxpayer’s expense.

These people suck the life out of our city and county, which is why Brownsville lags behind other Valley cities.

None of us is perfect, but I assure you, had I done what Eddie Treviño or Tony Martinez have done, these righteous people would be clamoring fiduciary abuse, abuse of office and organized crime. I would be in prison.

Now you know why Brownsville lags behind McAllen and will continue to do so, because of individuals who support the downfall of our city and county.

From the editor:  The letter above was written by former Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada and published in the Brownsville Herald.