By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
City council members during Tuesday’s council meeting approved the acceptance of monetary
and in-kind donations for the mayor’s reception, held in October.
During the meeting, the city council discussed an ordinance to authorize the acceptance of
monetary and in-kind donations for the annual reception event, which is traditionally held as part
of October’s Fiesta de Amistad celebrations, which each year mark the long friendship between
Del Rio and its sister city across the Rio Grande, Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico.
Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez made the motion to approve the ordinance accepting the
donations, and Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. gave the second.
As listed on the informational section of the ordinance submitted by Esme Meza, the city’s
community service director, the total cost of the mayor’s reception was $13,318.30. Meza noted
that total included $10,075 worth of in-kind donations and a total of $7,110 in monetary
donations.
The remaining balance of $3,243.30 will be used for Thanksgiving and Christmas events for city
employees.
Before approving the ordinance, Mayor Al Arreola asked if the vendors who were involved in the
reception have been paid. Arreola said he has received comments from people saying they
have not received checks for the goods or services they provided for the reception.
“Are they going to get (the checks) this week? Or are we still investigating and doing other
sources of information on some of these vendors?” Arreola asked.
Meza stepped to the podium and answered Arreola’s questions.
Meza said there is one vendor
who has not submitted a completed packet to receive their check. Meza added she has sent the
vendor an email with instructions on how to complete the necessary documents.
When Arreola expressed frustration about the process, noting, “It wasn’t even the city’s money,” City Attorney Ana Markowski Smith corrected him, saying that once the money was deposited in
city accounts, it became the city’s money.
Purchasing Agent Luis Menchaca also spoke and gave several clarifications on the application
process. Menchaca said vendors have to meet certain requirements placed by the state of
Texas and the United States. He said the city also has to make sure the documents are properly
filled out with all the names matching correctly.
Arreola clarified his concerns by saying, “Some of these organizations went out and bought the
stuff (for the reception), and they haven’t gotten paid. And this is where I think this is hurting
them to make any other business with the city.”
Smith said Del Rio passed a policy prior to the city accepting the donations, which explains what
the processes are for businesses that provided goods or services for use in the reception. She
said “it would be like any other vendor that’s doing business with the city.”
Arreola then asked how the remaining dollars would be used. City Manager Shawna Burkhart
said the city has already purchased hams for the city employees as a “thank you” for their work.
She said those hams would be given out before Thanksgiving.
Burkhart also reminded the council it had directed her to look into using the leftover funds for a
Christmas event or events for city employees.
Burkhart said last year, the city spent about $18,000 on Christmas events for employees.
“There’s no way we can do that this year. $18,000 is not even feasible, and we had half the
people not even show up,” Burkhart said.
As for Christmas events, Burkhart said the city will provide catered meals for the Del Rio Fire
Department and for the Del Rio Police Department. She said the city will also throw a catered
Christmas luncheon for all of its non-civil service employees.
