We congratulate Harlingen’s new mayor, Norma Sepulveda, who defeated five-term incumbent Chris Boswell May 7.
Apparently, Sepulveda’s lopsided victory — by 20 percentage points — was no fluke; voting was heavier than expected, with 6,000 ballots cast. While that might seem low for a city of more than 65,000 residents, turnout usually is even lower for municipal elections. We also can compare her landslide win to the District 1 and District 2 City Commission seats, which both are headed for runoffs.
It looks like voters wanted change, and that was Sepulveda’s primary campaign message. Not necessarily change in political ideology, but in the contentious atmosphere that has sullied Harlingen governance in recent years, and arguably slowed the city’s progress.
It’s worth noting that more than three-fourths of voters also voted to impose term limits on commission members, to four three-year terms. As mayor and a commissioner, Boswell had been part of city government for nearly a quarter century. Obviously, he deserves credit for progress the city has made and notable achievements, such as attracting major retailers like Bass Pro Shops and upgrading ValleyInternationalAirport.
Sepulveda previously has not held elected office.
Her plans for the city’s future aren’t groundbreaking; she has pledged to encourage economic growth, particularly among Harlingen’s small, local businesses, and support police, fire and other emergency personnel.
The change Sepulveda promises is in the tone of city governance. She pledges to listen to the people, have a transparent administration and encourage resident participation, which she says is a departure from the city’s current “lack of community engagement.”
Indeed, for all his positive qualities, Boswell perhaps is better known for the contentious battles he has had over the years that often were based on personality rather than policy.
Of course, it takes two to fight, and such battles aren’t unique to Boswell or to Harlingen. Elected bodies all across the Rio GrandeValley have been mired by fighting between political factions; we’ve seen it in city and county commissions, school boards and even community college boards. We’re even seeing it in the halls of Congress.
The result often has been lack of progress, lost opportunities and wasted tax dollars.
To be sure, debate is a hallmark of our country’s unique system of governance. Our founding fathers tolerated and even valued dissent, believing that the open discussion of conflicting views helps governing bodies consider all options and make better final decisions.
However, too often that debate doesn’t occur. Officials prevent such discussions, opting instead to sabotage measures at times not because they’re bad, but because they’re offered or supported by the wrong person or faction.
We hope officials in Harlingen, and all across the Valley, heed Sepulveda’s call for civility and cooperation. They just might find that the bodies they serve make better progress, and in turn lead to new engagement between the officials and the people they serve.
