BROWNSVILLE'S CITY COMMISSION HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH ETHICS

Mayor Trey Mendez

Our city got a textbook example of the "appearance of impropriety" and "conflict of interest" with Mayor Trey Mendez' recent request for $200,000 from our city's 4B entity, the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation to upgrade a downtown building he'd purchased.

At the last meeting of the BCIC,  just as the group was about to go into executive session, I asked a board member about the mayor's request and was told "it's been removed from the agenda."

Just to refresh our recollections:

In 1992 the City of Brownsville decided to take advantage of a 1989 Texas law allowing the establishment a 4A entity to receive 1/2 cent of the 8-1/4 cent sales tax collected to use for economic development. 

One of the original, stated purposes of diverting tax dollars from cities' general funds into separate 4A and 4B entities was so that economic development and quality of life projects would not be "politicized" by being under the exclusive control of elected officials who might be tempted to disperse patronage in the form of 4a and 4b projects.

The whole 4A and 4B process is designed to assure the taxpayers that public officials are not using the funds to benefit their cronies, much less themselves.

That's why Mayor Mendez' request that $200,000 of 4B monies be diverted to restore or upgrade the historic downtown Coca Cola Building was such a bad look.

Well, it was more than a bad look.  It was unethical, immoral, if not illegal.

Section 38-31 of the Brownsville, Texas Code of Ordinances prohibits a city official doing anything for personal benefit at the "risk and appearance of impropriety."

If that's not bad enough, the City Commission has appointed itself, its own members, along with the mayor, to form the entity responsible for dispersing approximately $5,000,000 annually on "economic development" projects, the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.

Two and one half years ago we pointed out the inappropriateness of city commissioners sitting on GBIC.  

Now, the situation is much worse with ALL of the GBIC members being city commissioners as well as the mayor himself.

If the city commissioners are going to control how monies are dispersed for economic development projects, why are we renting the historic Young House at 500 East Saint Charles Street and spending over $1,000,000 annually to staff GBIC including attorneys fees?

If the City Commission is going to disperse economic development funds, simply disband GBIC, saving millions, and let the City Commission use its general fund for economic development projects.

Remember, after all, that 4A "economic development" funds and 4B "quality of life" funds are  DIVERTED from the general fund with the intention that qualified citizens with business expertise, NOT POLITICIANS, will control the distribution of those monies.

Here's the current inappropriate composition of GBIC:  

Commissioner John Cowen, Jr., President

Commissioner Nurith Galonsky

Commissioner Roy de los Santos

Mayor Trey Mendez

Commissioner Pedro Cardenas

Commissioner Jessica Tetreau