By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Del Rioans asked questions and made comments about a wide array of city projects during Tuesday’s town hall meeting on the city budget, from complaints about work on a south side street to questions about promised improvements at a city park, airline service and the golf course.
Twenty-six city residents attended the first of two town hall meetings on the city’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget, which was held at the Joe Ramos Center. Those attending first listened to a presentation on the budget and the city’s current financial situation, given by City Manager Shawna Burkhart.
After her presentation, Burkhart invited citizens attending the meeting to come to the microphone to ask questions.
budget Tuesday, while Miguel Elizondo, left, listens. The meeting was held at the Joe
Ramos Center. (Photo by Karen Gleason)
The first person to walk up and speak was Judy Jarrett, who said the ongoing reconstruction of Griner Street has caused major problems at her house and at other homes in her neighborhood.
Jarrett said, “Please rethink your budget and address the most important items first, and wait on spending until you have paid down our debts.”
Sandra Fuentes asked questions about description of the money the city has borrowed as certificates of obligation (COs), and Burkhart said she could provide information on CO funds that have not been spent and asked Fuentes to contact her. Fuentes also asked about the total amount of the COs the city has borrowed.
City Budget Analyst Flavio Aguilar responded to Fuentes’ question about the total amount of the city’s debt, noting it will be $128 million next year, counting principal and interest.
Fuentes also commented about the city’s lack of progress on the San Felipe creek walk improvements and asked how city leaders decide what to pay the city’s firefighters and police officers.
Burkhart noted the city is now beginning to resume work on the creek project and said the civil service pay scales try to be in line with the pay offered by other cities in the region and is also subject to collective bargaining agreements with the police officers association and meet-and-confer agreements with the firefighters association.
Bea Vallejo said, “My concern is the debt, and it has been my
American G.I. Forum park in the city’s San Felipe neighborhood during a town hall
meeting on the proposed city budget on Tuesday. (Photo by Karen Gleason)
concern for years. I don’t understand why the previous council did not pay attention to it, because most of time they were being rushed into, ‘We have to do this today, or we’re going to lose this.’”
Vallejo said she wanted to know how much interest the city was earning on its money, and Burkhart said the city’s monthly investment report shows how much interest the city is earning.
When Vallejo asked if some of the projects could be let go, Burkhart said her directive from the current council has been to move forward on projects and to use the money that has been borrowed.
Vallejo also said she believes the city “wastes a lot of money in its buildings” and that she believes city employees “don’t do enough.”
Will Rivas asked Burkhart if the city had a timeline on the creek walk improvements, and Burkhart said the city has hired a company to design the project.
Carmen Gomez said she hopes the city will “give some more” to the Joe Ramos Center and to the programs for the elderly offered there.
Carlos Cardenas Jr. followed up with comments about chronic problems with the bathrooms at the Joe Ramos Center, and Burkhart said renovation of one restroom has been priced at $175,000.
She noted there is a possibility the city council could use some of the money previously set aside for a new City Hall to do work on the Joe Ramos Center.
Vallejo followed up, saying she believes the rental from city buildings should go back into a fund for the improving and maintaining those buildings.
Arturo Talamantez spoke about another chronic problem: rainfall runoff drainage in the neighborhoods between U.S. 90 and U.S. 277. He said he believes the runoff should be diverted into the San Felipe Creek before it reaches the neighborhood.
Talamantez said he has complained about the problem for years and charged his comments “fall on deaf ears.”
Talamantez said he, too, is concerned about city spending, including any revenue guarantees for another airline, and later, asked city staff to work with Union Pacific to clean the railroad right-of-way through the city.
Talamantez insisted the city must prioritize its needs.
“Do we need it? Do we really need it? Whenever we buy or spend, do we really need it? It is something that needs to be done?” Talamantez said.
Burkhart replied, “Certainly, I can prioritize those things that are within my scope, but in terms of the goals of the city, I would encourage you to share your thoughts with the city council members because they’re the ones who have to share with me what the goals are for the year.”
Ben Saenz said in 2022 he adopted the American G.I. Forum Park. He said city staff showed him the plans for improvements at the park, which is located on the city’s south side, and was told “they had all the money” to fund those improvements.
“All they did was the splash pad and the volleyball court, and that’s it. According to the paperwork she showed me, it says upgrade the basketball court, upgrade the pavilion and (install) grass and a sprinkler system and new swings. This was back in 2022. . . What happened to the rest of the money? According to the person I talked to, she told me they had all the money, and they were going to start it,” Saenz said.
Burkhart asked Scot Carcasi, the city’s operations and compliance manager, to respond to the question.
“You are correct. There was a plan for a playground, sprinkler system, sod, resurfacing the basketball court and new restrooms. . .,” Carcasi replied.
City Purchasing Director Luis Menchaca interjected that new restrooms went with the new concession stand at the adjacent Pop Word Park and noted, “That was the beginning of the plan.”
When Saenz said those improvements were made at Pop Word, Menchaca said Pop Word and American G.I. Forum are considered “one location.”
“The beginning of the rehabilitation for that area was the restrooms and concession stand, and it was followed up with the splash pad and the volleyball court, four major projects for one park,” Menchaca said.
Carcasi added the remaining projects fell under “operational costs.”
Carcasi added, “There wasn’t money borrowed for that. We were going to do them through the budget, and, as we found out, budgets have been getting cut back, so we’re hoping – we do have some quotes to resurface the basketball court – that we should be able to (make the remaining improvements) with our proposed operating budget. We’re hoping if we can keep the costs down, we can get the basketball court redone.”
When Saenz asked about the gazebo in the park, Carcasi said the structure suffered “pretty significant” damage during the last windstorm, adding the city is waiting for the claim to be processed by the Texas Municipal League, and the city may be able to rebuild the structure using that money.
“We’re going to try to do as much as we can with what money we have, in-house, it won’t be through contractors,” Carcasi added.
“And how long will that take?” Saenz pressed. Carcasi said he does not know when TML will send the money from the damage claim.
As the meeting wound down, other citizens, some who had spoken previously, asked about the staff layoffs Burkhart had recommended, Community Development Block Grants and the Hernandez Street property the city council plans to sell.
Of the layoffs, Burkhart said because the city’s budget is “90 percent personnel” costs, it is inevitable that cuts would eventually have to be made in that area.
Four city council members, Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus, Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr., Councilman Randy Quiñones and Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez, also attended the first town hall meeting, but none spoke during the meeting.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
