WAS THE $85,000 TREY MENDEZ POCKETED FROM BCIC REALLY "FREE MONEY?"

 

Trey Mendez

With his four year tenure as mayor completed, Trey Mendez has set an awful precedent.

To "be like Trey," all one needs to do is run for office, closely monitor so-called economic development boards like the BCIC and the GBIC, naming board members, helping to write the rules for economic programs, then, once out of office, cash in to benefit personally from all of the above.

Thwarted while still mayor from claiming $200,000 in economic develpment funds to refurbish the Coca Cola Building downtown, it's now been reported on Juan Montoya's El Rrun Rrun that Mendez accepted an $85,000 grant, yes, you guessed it, to use toward refurbishment for the Coca Cola Building.

As this blog has repeated ad nauseum, the reason 4A and 4B funds are separated from the city's general fund is to keep politicians from dispersing them to their friends, or, even more vile, to themselves.

You may remember that it was Trey Mendez, while still mayor, along with city administrator Ramiro Gonzalez, who, as a tandem, held out their hands for $200,000 from BCIC.

Gonzalez, as a city employee, lost his job over the incident, while Mendez, as an elected official, did not.

As also reported in Montoya's blog, the City of Brownsville recently passed a new Code of Ethics forbidding elected officials from doing what Trey attempted to do originally, but that same code also contains a proviso extending that prohibition to 12 months after the official leaves office.

It seems clear that Mendez has violated that Code of Ethics.

Now, the proverbial ball is in the City Commission's court as they can negate, overturn this grant.

Brownsville Mayor John Cowen

Mayor John Cowen has a golden opportunity to demonstrate leadership here.  Will he stand up for the city and its hardworking taxpayers or will he simply look the other way and allow a friend, a crony, the former mayor, to pocket economic development funds?

As for Trey Mendez, even if the city commission wimps out on enforcing their newly-created Code of Ethics, Mendez will pay dearly for taking advantage of a system he helped create.

The respect Mendez garnered years ago as a TSC trustee, standing up to powerful interests that wanted to swallow up that school, will be lost.

Mendez will simply be viewed as another politico with his hand out.

The money will not be free.

Trey will pay with his reputation.