TREY MENDEZ FINISHES "LAME DUCK" PERIOD OF MAYORSHIP AS JOHN COWEN ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE OF THE OFFICE

 

"Lame Duck" Mayor Trey Mendez

Outgoing Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez has now completed the "lame duck" phase of his tenure, although Leroy, my Arkansas friend from years ago, preferred the phrase "lame dick" to describe one-term President Jimmy Carter, not seeming to understand why that term drew so much laughter.

Mendez cited the negative impact serving as mayor has had on his physical, mental and financial health in his Facebook explanation for not seeking another term.  Some feel that Mendez may have resigned because, as mayor, he did not qualify ethically and perhaps legally to benefit from $280,000 he'd sought from BCIC to fix up his recently acquired Coca Cola Building in downtown Brownsville.

Now, that he's no longer mayor, Mendez may actually reapply for those funds with terminated City Administrator Ramiro Gonzalez at his side.

Newly installed Brownsville Mayor John Cowen will have significantly less financial hardship from serving the city as mayor with the passing of Proposition "A", authorizing the city to extend a $40,000 salary to the mayor and $25,000 to city commissioners.

Mayor John Cowen

Actually, Cowen, a young man with a waiflike appearance and reticent nature, will likely not even need the salary, as his Uncle Ralph Cowen told me that Johnny had made the Cowen Group "a lot of money."

With my personal vote I asked myself the question "which of these mayoral candidates would most likely return my phone call?" and voted for Erasmo Castro.

Certainly, Cowen should have no difficulty conducting city commission meetings considering he's served on the Brownsville City Improvement Corporation and knows how meetings work.

But, will John have an agenda for the city and be able to persuade enough individual commissioners to follow his leadership?

Brownville citizens are eagerly awaiting the answer to that question.