Position sought: San Benito City Commissioner Place 4
Age: 31
Occupation: Attorney at Law
Education: Bachelor of Arts Political Science, Bachelor of Arts International Relations from St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Juris Doctor from Thurgood Marshall School of Law of Houston
Community involvement:
Current and Completed Service
• San Benito Mayor ProTem, Commissioner Plc 4
• Ed Downs Elementary Advisory Board
• Multi-Sport Youth Coach
• San Benito Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors
• San Benito Youth Baseball Softball League Board
• St. Theresa Fall Festival Committee
• San Benito Special Events Board
• La Posada Board of Directors
• Resacafest Committee
How long have you been a San Benito resident?
I was born in San Benito 31 years ago, where I resided until I completed high school. I left to pursue my college education, then returned back to my community upon completion 6 years ago.
Do you believe enough money is being spent on street repairs?
This is a tough question, my initial response would be no. However, once someone takes into account the financial situation our city and its tax paying citizens are in I have to say yes. Streets are clearly a huge issue that must be addressed, but after looking at our overall financials the amount allocated seems to be the most we can use at this time. Now, our job is to look for other ways to fund the street repair aside from our current funds, only after we take care of many housekeeping matters that have been looming for quite some time. It’s hard to understand that there are bigger issues facing our city when you drive through our roads daily, however that is the case. The most important things at this time are the required repairs to our lift stations and getting our water plant up and running properly.
How should street repairs be funded?
Ideally grants would be our best hope. A couple of months ago we were approached by an individual who offered to help us with looking for funds. Since that meeting we have provided everything he has requested in hopes that our cooperation can lead us to the funds we have been seeking. Getting help from our state would be great, but we do realize it will be hard.
Our next avenue would be through bonds or fees. Whether through bonds or fees our citizens will have to ultimately end up picking up the ticket. That is why it is important to realize every decision we make will affect our tax payers. Many will get excited that repairs will be done and call for action, however the ramifications of that will be felt in their pockets. I am very careful with my decisions because I am aware of the income levels faced by our citizens. While fees added to utilities or an increase in taxes may be ok for some, it can be dire for a large amount of our community. It is important we explore every avenue before we implement these charges in any way.
Should the city build a swimming pool and splash pad, considering the city is under a mandate of more than $10 million for sewer system repairs?
It would seem that the money would be better spent elsewhere, however this was thought out properly. At the beginning of my term I looked into where we could get these funds to build. I did have some ideas including the funds received through the AEP contract and other avenues, but I quickly realized there were bigger issues at hand. That is the reason it was a great idea to have our parks department go out for the funds through grants. This is how I initially wanted to fund the splash pad, I even covered it in my questionnaire last year. These funds were awarded for this specific reason and cannot be allocated elsewhere. This is a great addition to our community that has been long awaited. This grant will allow it to happen and will not have an impact on the funds needed for the sewer repairs and other looming issues. It’s a win for our community.
Some believe merging the Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Cameron and Hidalgo counties would give cities here more money. Others believe Cameron County cities would be ceding too much control over highway money to Hidalgo County because board positions would be allocated according to population. What is your position?
As Mayor Pro Tem, I have had the opportunity to participate in and have a seat at the MPO board. At this time with all things considered it would not be a good move for our community. We already have a huge problem with getting funds when our largest competition is Harlingen, even larger municipalities would completely throw us out of the running. Larger municipalities would have the larger funding needed to be shovel ready on projects, giving them the upper hand to ultimately have their projects be picked as priority. Secondly, our population would determine the number of seats we have, again larger municipalities would overshadow us leaving behind. While it may bring more funding by joining together, I do believe we wouldn’t real the benefits of it.
What qualifies you to be a city commissioner?
I do my due diligence. When making a decision I make sure I am prepared beforehand and ask all the questions I need answered. I look at all aspects and never take any decision lightly. I am also in touch with the community and am aware of what many citizens face on a daily basis. My legal background is also important when we are making decisions on contracts or laws. When making decisions it’s important to know the consequences and decipher any issues that may arise from them in the future. I am also a citizen, mother, wife, daughter, niece, volunteer, and friend to many, so that makes me even more invested in this city’s success.