A former Palmview High School special education teacher has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for soliciting sexually explicit photos from a 14-year-old girl in South Carolina.
Juan Carlos Munoz, 43, who pleaded guilty on March 29, was sentenced Friday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced in a news release.
Federal investigators opened the investigation in November 2022 after law enforcement in South Carolina met with the family of the teenage girl who was communicating with an individual soliciting nude photos and videos.
“The girl met the individual who claimed to be a 19-year-old teenage boy on a social media/video chat site,” the release stated. “Law enforcement uncovered numerous conversations and successfully traced the perpetrator’s phone number to the Rio Grande Valley.”
In December 2022, authorities arrested Munoz at Palmview High School.
“He admitted to communicating with approximately 50 minor children and requesting sexually explicit photos and videos,” the release stated.
During the hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane heard how Munoz also shared the videos and photos he solicited with another “adult male predator.”
“In handing down the prison term, the court noted its concern for the safety of our school children,” the release stated.
Alamdar S. Hamdani, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said Munoz belongs behind bars.
“Munoz is a predator who hid within the walls of a local school and behind fake personas,” Hamdani said in the release. “This sentence should show this family and all families that justice will bring child predators out of the shadows and placed behind bars where they belong.”
Craig Larrabee, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio, said Munoz abused his position of public trust and preyed on those he was entrusted to protect.
“The sexual exploitation of children is among the most egregious crimes HSI investigates, and today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that our agency will work tirelessly to protect children from coercion and enticement of minors,” Larrabee said in the release.
A 46-year-old Mission man is accused of bilking the Texas Medicaid Program out of $2 million by representing that he provided counseling services at his Brownsville office.
Federal prosecutors, however, allege that Juan Martin Flores never actually rendered those services, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
A grand jury indicted Flores on Aug. 7 and he was arrested Thursday.
He’s accused of submitting more than 15,000 fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services that were never provided.
“Between 2018 and 2022, the claims resulted in approximately $2 million in Medicaid payments, according to the charges,” the release stated. “The indictment further alleges Flores used the personal information of Medicaid beneficiaries without their consent to facilitate the fraudulent billing scheme.”
Prosecutors allege Flores submitted the claims under his national provider identifier, representing he provided counseling services at his Brownsville office.
“However, he allegedly never actually rendered those services,” the release stated. “The indictment details multiple instances in which he unlawfully used Medicaid beneficiaries’ identities in the fraudulent claims.”
As of Friday morning, access to the indictment was still restricted in federal court records.
Flores is charged with 10 counts of healthcare fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft.
He was scheduled to make a first appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker in McAllen federal court on Friday morning.
Weslaco East ball carrier Malachi Rodriguez (4) makes his way into the endzone against Donna High during a 15-5A Di opener at Bobby Lackey Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
Weslaco East ball carrier Malachi Rodriguez (4) makes his way into the endzone against Donna High during a 15-5A Di opener at Bobby Lackey Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])Weslaco East ball carrier Margarito Pompa (3) moves against Donna High defense during a 15-5A Di opener at Bobby Lackey Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])Weslaco East quarterback Malachi Rodriguez (4) carries the ball against Donna High during a 15-5A Di opener at Bobby Lackey Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])Weslaco East quarterback Aiden Gonzalez (1) hands off the ball to running back Margarito Pompa (3) during a 15-5A Di opener against Donna High at Bobby Lackey Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])Weslaco East’s Margarito Pompa (3) carries the ball against Donna High during a 15-5A Di opener at Bobby Lackey Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])Weslaco East’s Margarito Pompa (3) carries the ball against Donna High during a 15-5A Di opener at Bobby Lackey Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])Weslaco East quarterback Aiden Gonzalez (1) passes the ball during a 15-5A Di opener against Donna High at Bobby Lackey Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Weslaco. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
This photo shows the shirt Edinburg school board candidate Alex Rios wore on the sidelines of a football game to cover up his campaign shirt and the pass given to him to access the field on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Courtesy: Alex Rios)
This photo shows the shirt Edinburg school board candidate Alex Rios wore on the sidelines of a football game to cover up his campaign shirt and the pass given to him to access the field on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Courtesy: Alex Rios)
EDINBURG — The school board here held a special meeting Wednesday where they took action to draft board operating procedures to address a recent overreach in regards to an incident involving a school board candidate and district police officers at a football game last Friday.
On Sept. 6, Edinburg High played Edinburg Robert Vela High in a rivalry game at Richard R. Flores Stadium. Off the field toward the sidelines is where the incident involving Alex Rios, a candidate for the Edinburg CISD school board, took place.
Rios attended the special meeting and gave his side of the story during public comments.
Alex Rios speaks during public comments in a special meeting held Sept. 11, 2024, by the Edinburg CISD Board of Trustees. (Courtesy: Edinburg CISD)
Going into the details of the night, Rios said he arrived at the stadium with family and friends.
Watching the first quarter of the game in the stands, he said he was approached by stadium staff and invited to receive a 2024 sideline pass. Greeted by board member and secretary Luis Alamia, Rios said he gave him the pass on the south side entrance gate.
Shaking hands with ECISD Superintendent Mario Salinas, directors and staff, Rios then said he exited the field to request a booster club volunteer to give him a shirt to wear over his campaign shirt to show unbiased support.
Upon reentering the sideline area, Rios said he was detained by the district Chief of Police Ricardo Perez Jr. and surrounded by a captain, sergeants and security officers. He said he was unwanted in the area.
“I then asked by whom and he replied the athletic director,” he said. “Minutes later, your AD calls me to the exit gate and is asking me to leave the area. Confused, I asked him if there was something wrong, or if there was a particular reason why I was being removed.”
Rios said the Athletic Director Oscar Salinas then tried to remove the lanyard causing him unwanted contact. He then said he was scared and held against his will and requested to exit the sidelines.
Upon exiting the sidelines, Rios said he requested Perez to send an officer to file a report.
“He declined, telling me that the dispatch was quote, unquote clocked out,” he said.
Not leaving until he filed a report, Rios said he was asked to leave and wait outside of the stadium. While waiting outside for 45 minutes, he said he reflected on the interaction.
“At no point was I being rude or disrespectful as to why the humiliation, assault, intimidating tactics used by ECISD administration and employees to anyone who had been invited by one of your own,” Rios said. “Now I question what the intent was in giving me this pass … We are asking this board to please make sure that this incident does not occur to any students, any staff and any community member of this community.”
The Edinburg CISD Board of Trustees are seen during a special meeting held Sept. 11, 2024. (Courtesy: Edinburg CISD)
The meeting, attended by everyone except board members Alamia and Dominga “Minga” Vela, immediately went into closed session.
Upon coming back into open session, ECISD’s attorney Benjamin Castillo read the outcome of the closed session.
“Due to the recent actions of certain trustees who are not currently present, who acted outside the scope of their authority, the board has directed me to draft formal board operating procedures,” Castillo said at the meeting.
He said the procedures are to provide clear guidelines for trustees to remain in their defined roles and respect the boundaries set forth in law and policies.
“Effective immediately, all trustees may not go to any campuses without a specific purpose and prior authorization from the superintendent,” Castillo said. “In addition, the board has requested the superintendent to strictly limit sideline access during district football games to only those whose presence is necessary, including trustees … Lastly, I would like to remind all candidates, including sitting board members, that school events are an opportunity to celebrate our students’ achievements. To maintain focus on the students we ask that all candidates and sitting public officers refrain from wearing campaign materials during these events.”
Miguel “Mike” Farias
Board member Miguel “Mike” Farias said it was unfortunate that the actions resulted in a special meeting.
“It’s very upsetting,” Farias said. “We have a lot of positive things in our district, and because of their actions, it really shines a negative light on Edinburg …”
Contacting Alamia via a WhatsApp text, he said, “I agree that the Board should adopt board operating procedures so we can hold ALL SEVEN of ourselves accountable and ensure the focus always remains on the students of the district.”
Reaching out to Rios on Thursday, he said he is happy to close this out and turn the page.
“Misunderstandings and miscommunications happen everywhere, in every business, in every district, in every family,” Rios said. “So to me, this was all a misunderstanding and miscommunication between staff and administrators because the school board member gave me that pass. That person didn’t communicate to the proper authority to let them know that he had had me as a guest.”
Asked if he has talked to Alamia since the incident, Rios said he has not.
“The whole situation made me feel terrible emotionally,” he said. “My family was there and got to see it … When I went back to the stands, I just felt really ugly inside and (my wife) noticed it in my emotion.”
Victor Hugo De La Cruz and Rene A. Flores. (Courtesy: City of Edcouch)
The mayor pro-tem and city manager for Edcouch have been arrested on federal public corruption charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced the arrests of Victor De La Cruz, 40, and Rene Flores, 60, in a Thursday news release.
The men are scheduled for an initial appearance in McAllen federal court Friday morning.
The men were indicted on Sept. 2.
The indictment alleges that from June to September 2019, De La Cruz, who was city manager, and Flores, the mayor pro-tem, solicited bribes from a Brownsville marketing business.
“The business owner allegedly received two separate $3000 payments for marketing work he was allegedly performing for the city of Edcouch,” the release stated. “In return, he made two $1000 kickback payments to Flores, according to the charges.”
They are charged with conspiracy, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and use of a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of bribery.
“Defendants De La Cruz and Flores sought to use their positions as officials in Edcouch to obtain money from a private company and private individual in exchange for assistance in obtaining a contract, business agreement, project, or work assignment with Edcouch,” the indictment stated.
The public officials agreed with “Person 1” that Edcouch would pay “Business A” for marketing work for Edcouch and that in exchange “Person 1” would pay Flores kickbacks, according to the indictment.
“Under this agreement, Edcouch made two payments to Business A. In return, Person 1 paid two kickbacks to Flores,” the indictment stated.
The alleged scheme followed a July 9, 2019 meeting between De La Cruz, Flores and “Person 1.”
Two days later, on July 11, 2019, Edcouch issued a $3,000 check to “Business A,” according to the indictment.
Then, on July 23, 2019, “Person 1” met with De La Cruz and Flores and provided Flores with $1,000 according to the indictment, which goes on to say that on Sept. 12, 2019, Edcouch issued another $3,000 check to “Business A.”
“On or about September 24, 2019, Person 1 met with De La Cruz and Flores and paid $1000 to Flores,” the indictment stated.
Federal prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of any proceeds derived from the alleged offenses and monetary judgments should the men be convicted.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information from the indictment.
This map shows the proposed site for a battery storage plant near Dr. Raul Garza Elementary School in San Benito. (Courtesy: City of San Benito)
This map shows the proposed site for a battery storage plant near Dr. Raul Garza Elementary School in San Benito. (Courtesy: City of San Benito)
SAN BENITO — More than a year after the city’s past commission approved plans to build the city’s first battery storage plant next to a school, commissioners have rejected a developer’s proposal to open an operation at the same site.
So far, Stella Energy Solutions, a Woodlands-based company, hasn’t proposed building a plant storing massive lithium iron phosphate batteries, part of an evolving energy production industry shoring up the region’s electric grid, at an alternative site.
“We’re open to other potential locations as may be presented to us,” City Commissioner Tom Goodman said Thursday.
About two years ago, the city’s past commission, amid no opposition, granted a company a conditional use permit to build a battery storage plant near Dr. Raul Garza Elementary School off Interstate 69, requesting the developer return to the board in the next five years, officials said.
But now, officials are requesting that company consider building its plant on a site in an industrial area.
Last week, facing residents’ opposition, commissioners denied Stella Energy Solutions’ request to build a 9.9-megawatt battery storage plant near the school, located near a neighborhood.
“If something, God forbid, was to happen — an explosion — would we have the capability to do anything about it?” Commissioner Deborah Morales said during a Sept. 3 meeting, referring to city leaders’ questions posed to fire department officials. “The response was, ‘no.’ So that to me, right there, is a major factor.”
During a presentation, Brian Yarborough, representing Stella Energy, responded to residents’ concerns as he proposed building a 9.9-megawatt battery storage plant, made up of nine 22-foot-long containers packing lithium iron phosphate batteries, near the school.
The company picked the site based on its proximity to an AEP Texas electrical substation, he said.
“We certainly wouldn’t put it next to a school if there were any possibility foreseeable that it could be a danger to any student,” Yarborough told commissioners. “To date, the lithium iron phosphate batteries that we use in our projects have had no accidents. The explosions, the fires, the thermal runaway that we’ve seen has been with a different chemistry entirely.”
Yarborough compared the make up of the massive batteries to that of cell phone batteries.
“The batteries do not have any pollutants,” he said. “It’s just like your cell phone battery. It’s not putting out radiation, it’s not venting, it’s not using water, it’s not released into the groundwater.”
The San Benito City Commission is seen during a regular meeting on Sept. 3, 2024. (Courtesy: City of San Benito)
Meanwhile, the company’s battery storage plants include federally approved fire suppression systems, Yarborough said.
“As far as controlling the fire, we have fire suppression systems in place that are governed by the National Fire Protection Agency,” he said. “All the projects are designed, manufactured and operated to those guidelines and any guidelines or FPA standard.
During the last five years, the company’s built 20 energy distribution plants while developing 10 transmission projects, Yarborough told commissioners.
As South Texas booms, its growth continues straining the state’s electric grid, he said.
“We’ve been developing these sites in Texas for the past five years in a lot of different communities, by houses, by churches, by schools,” Yarborough said. “The reason that we’re coming to San Benito for a project is because this is where the energy needs are. In South Texas, we are experiencing load growth, growth in communities, electrical demand, more electric cars, a lot of solar and wind, and that’s driving these projects to become a critical piece of the ERCOT system.”
In the last two years, Harlingen commissioners have approved three plants storing crystallized lithium-ion batteries, including a 100-megawatt battery storage plant on farm land off Loop 499 and two smaller plants off West Lincoln Avenue.
A University of Texas Rio Grande Valley graduate is seen with a message written on her cap during commencement ceremonies at UTRGV's parking lot on Friday, May 7, 2021. in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])
The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley Foundation has filed a petition in state district court to amend an endowment fund created in 1989 to provide graduate school scholarships to women studying the Valley’s flora and fauna.
The scholarship is administered through the Ruth and Katherine Dugger Endowment Fund, which the foundation believes is not in compliance with Texas’ 2023 Senate Bill 17, known as the “Responsibility of Governing Boards Regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives.”
“SB 17 prohibits giving ‘preference on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin to an applicant for employment, an employee, or a participant in any function of the institution,’” the petition states.
That document also says that Senate Bill 17 prohibits student scholarships if they are awarded with regard to “race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.”
“If an entity separate from the university (such as an institutionally-related foundation) offers a closed scholarship that is prohibited by SB 17 or federal law, the university may likewise not participate in the award or implementation of the scholarship,” the petition states.
The UTRGV Foundation has temporarily stopped awarding scholarships from the Ruth and Katherine Dugger Endowment Fund due to Senate Bill 17 while it seeks judicial relief.
The scholarship needs a judge’s approval to amend the language in the scholarship fund because the Dugger siblings are deceased.
The UTRGV Foundation is asking a judge to allow it to remove gender-related language regarding women and to change the language to make it gender-neutral.
UTRGV President Guy Bailey supports the foundation’s efforts to amend the language in the scholarship.
In a statement, UTRGV reiterated its support for the foundation’s petition to modify the scholarship to make sure it is in compliance with Senate Bill 17, which took effect on Jan. 1.
“We support the Foundation’s efforts to update the scholarship criteria to ensure compliance with federal and state laws while preserving the core intent of the Dugger sisters’ generous gift,” the statement read. “The proposed changes maintain the scholarship’s focus on graduate students in biology conducting field research on local flora and fauna.”
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley students head to class during the official first day of fall semester on Monday, Aug. 29, 2022, in Brownsville. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)
The university further said that it remains committed to providing students with financial support through scholarships and other forms of assistance.
“We look forward to continuing the legacy of the Dugger Endowment Fund in supporting valuable research that benefits our region,” the statement read.
The petition was filed on Aug. 5 and as of Thursday morning, a hearing hasn’t been scheduled.
Senate Bill 17 was authored by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who called the law “a significant milestone for the future of Texas high education.”
In a news release from June 2023 after Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill into law, Creighton called Senate Bill 17 the most significant ban on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, in the entire country.
“In recent years, DEI offices have grown in size and influence across college campuses requiring political litmus tests, compelled speech and mandatory diversity statements,” the news release read. “Despite hundreds of employees and millions of tax dollars, just here in Texas, DEI offices have failed to make progress advancing or increasing diversity.”
“With this bold, forward-thinking legislation to eliminate DEI programs, Texas is leading the nation, and ensuring our campuses return to focusing on the strength of diversity and promoting a merit-based approach where individuals are judged on their qualifications, skills, and contributions,” Creighton said in the news release. “What sets SB 17 apart from other proposals is that the legislation delivers strong enforcement with mandates to return Texas colleges and universities to their core mission — educate and innovate.”
That news release stated that the bill closes DEI offices and ends “all activities that discriminate against students based on their race, ethnicity, or gender.”
“The bill also prohibits diversity statements for job applicants at Texas universities and mandatory DEI training for any purpose,” the release stated.
Creighton’s news release makes no mention of Senate Bill 17’s impact on gender-based scholarships for women.
A man exits the polling location Tuesday, June 8, 2021, for the second day of early voting in the municipal runoff election at the Brownsville Public Library - Main Branch. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)
The Brownsville City Commission recently approved two ordinances aimed at asserting some control over how elections go down in the city.
One amends Chapter 40, “Elections,” in the Code of Ordinances regarding electioneering at the two voting sites controlled by the city: the main and Southmost branches of the Brownsville Public Library. The ordinance is in response to complaints about the “level of electioneering activities at the City’s public libraries” from members of the public, library staff and county election officials, according to the commission’s Aug. 6 agenda.
Texas Election Code Sections 61.003 and 85.036, meanwhile, “require an entity that controls or owns a public building used as a polling location to allow electioneering on the premises subject to reasonable regulations on time, place, and manner.”
Mayor John Cowen Jr. said it’s the first time such an ordinance has been enacted in the city, and that it’s about setting up reasonable guardrails.
“All of us on the commission have experienced how out of control it can feel sometimes,” he said. “I think it’s in the public’s best interests.”
The ordinance in part addresses the “sheer volume of election campaign signs,” Cowen said. It also prohibits interference with disability access or emergency response services at the library polling sites, and prohibits the use of trailers and vehicles to display electioneering materials as well as barbecue pits and food trucks.
“Electioneering representatives are barred from approaching vehicles while voters are in the process of voting,” reads the ordinance. “The distribution of food or beverages to voters or patrons on city-owned or controlled property is also prohibited. Additionally, the use of loudspeakers, microphones, megaphones, and other amplified devices is restricted within 1,000 feet of polling places.”
“Regulating private property is a much harder thing to do, but at least we can control the two election sites that the city has,” Cowen said.
The other ordinance approved by the city commission involves adoption of a Campaign Finance Code. Again, it’s something new for Brownsville in that it sets limits on how much money candidates can spend during their campaigns, and how much individual supporters can contribute to candidates.
“As Brownsville is becoming a much more desirable place to invest and to operate, we all see the potential risk there is for campaign contributions to get out of control, because right now there’s no limit for campaign contributions, and no transparency in reporting campaign finances of candidates,” Cowen said. “You file a report and it’s on the honor system. You don’t have to provide any back-up (information).”
The mayor said he wanted to create such a reporting requirement, which will mandate that candidates provide copies of checks and invoices to accompany campaign finance reports. Under the new ordinance, candidates for district city races can’t spend more than $50,000 per campaign, plus an additional $10,000 if a race goes to a runoff.
In citywide races — the commission’s two at-large seats and the mayor’s seat — candidates are allowed to spend no more than $100,000 ($25,000 more in a runoff). The Campaign Finance Code also addresses situations where a candidate might pays 100% of campaign expenditures out of his or her own pocket, but then accepts contributions after winning office.
“That can come a lot from vendors,” Cowen said. “That’s a way to limit the undue influence that special interests can potentially have, people who want to do business with the city or are in a procurement process. This happens at every governmental level where there’s procurement, people that want to do business with the city.”
He likened it to an “arms race.” With the new ordinance, individuals are limited to $1,000 in contributions to a candidate per election cycle. Businesses and political action committees are capped at $2,500. Cowen said he doesn’t believe these caps are overly restrictive.
Cowen said he “felt time was of the essence to get these done,” noting that campaigning for next year’s May 4 General Election has already begun — earlier than usual.
“These two measures go a long way in keeping our elections protected in … keeping undue influence out of the commission and also making it more attainable for people to run in general, so if you’re a candidate you’re not running against someone with unlimited resources. … I think it sends a strong message that this commission is not for sale. I think that’s an important message to the community.”
McAllen City Hall on Monday, July 12, 2021, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
McALLEN — Officials here are mulling a modest decrease in the property tax rate that would still generate enough revenue to fund the city’s needs and produce a healthy surplus in its rainy day fund.
McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez
After months of work with dozens of department heads, McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez — who is retiring Friday — is proposing that the McAllen City Commission approve a $652 million budget and a property tax rate decrease of nearly three-fourths of a cent.
“We’re happy to represent the budget for fiscal year 24-25. We’ve got a proposed decrease in the property tax rate — from a ($0.4572) to a ($0.4499 per $100 valuation),” Rodriguez said Monday afternoon during the last city commission meeting he would lead before retirement.
“And I’ll remind the public that this is the third year in a row that the city commission has approved a reduction in the tax rate,” Rodriguez added.
Highlights of the multimillion dollar budget include a 3.5% cost of living increase for both full- and part-time city of McAllen employees, and the creation of 25 new positions.
Of those, nine will be funded directly from the general fund, and another 16 new full-time employee positions will be funded through McAllen’s so-called enterprise funds — those departments that can independently generate their own revenue, such as the McAllen Metro, the Anzalduas Bridge and the sanitation department.
REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS
Moreover, McAllen’s financial position will be so robust in the coming year that the city will enjoy a rainy day cushion of nearly eight months’ worth of operational funds — well in excess of the 140 days of reserves called for by city policy.
McAllen will be able to sock away more than $94.4 million in its unassigned fund balance, which is enough revenue to fund some 232 days of operations, according to a 904-page draft copy of the city’s 2024-25 fiscal budget book.
Too, the city’s economy at large is so healthy that sales tax revenues provide a substantial offset to property taxes.
Sales tax revenues account for 43% of the general fund, while the property taxes people pay for their McAllen homes and businesses accounts for only about one-third, or 34%, of the general fund, according to the budget book.
A home sits behind a gate in The Embers subdivision on Friday, May 26, 2017, in north McAllen. (Nathan Lambrecht | The Monitor)
But, as Rodriguez said, McAllen has the luxury of not being wholly dependent on those two revenue streams to fund the city’s operations.
“On the revenue side, one of the things that’s really important for us is that there’s more than just sales and property tax that compose the budget,” Rodriguez said.
“There’s 23% (of revenues that come) from what we call ‘other.’ And that’s charges for services, franchise fees, license and permits, investment earnings — which is not insignificant,” he added.
Additional revenues pour in from the city’s two international ports of entry, which transfer $6.5 million to the city’s general fund, while the McAllen International Airport generates another $2.2 million.
Still more revenue comes from “fines and forfeits (sic), (and) a one-time slug of a sale of property,” Rodriguez said.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
As for what the city spends all that money on — as with most local governments, the largest percentage of appropriations go toward public safety.
In McAllen’s case, the city will spend about $78.7 million on public safety in FY 24-25, which begins on Oct. 1.
Of that, about $44.2 million will go to the McAllen Police Department, while another $26.6 million will go to the McAllen Fire Department, and $2.1 million will go toward paying for contracted EMS services.
However, no new officers will be added to the police department in the upcoming year, and only one position will be added to the fire department, according to the budget book.
The fire department had initially requested funding for 14 additional personnel.
McAllen will also make modest increases to its quality of life departments, such as parks and libraries.
The city is expected to appropriate more than $10.5 million for the parks department, and more than $5.8 million combined at the McAllen Library System’s three branches.
Quinta Mazatlan on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
Meanwhile, the city’s investment in Quinta Mazatlan will increase by 10% in the coming year, the budget book shows.
The city plans to appropriate nearly $1.6 million for Quinta Mazatlan, which is nearly $109,000 more than last year’s budget.
In all, the city will invest $25.8 million on “culture and recreation,” $15.2 million on highway and streets, and $29 million in “general government,” Rodriguez said.
McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos thanks Rodriguez and city staff for their hard work in preparing the budget, lauding them for being able to balance the city’s needs with a modest amount of property tax relief for residents.
PUBLIC FEEDBACK
And while the overarching theme of the budget season has been the city’s continued prosperity, at least one citizen watchdog offered a gentle admonition.
“We’re really happy with a lot of what is in there. There are a couple of issues that were of concern,” Mark Murray, a member of Futuro RGV, said during Monday’s public hearing on the proposed budget.
Futuro RGV is a nonpartisan citizen advocacy group that strives to improve communities “in the areas of economics, health, safety, environment, and education,” according to the group’s website.
Murray expressed concerns over McAllen lowering its property tax rate by three-fourths of one cent.
McAllen City Hall on Monday, July 12, 2021, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])
Though seemingly a very modest rate decrease, it nonetheless means McAllen will miss out on nearly half-a-million dollars in revenue.
“Lowering the tax rate left $466,000 on the table that could have been used to potentially meet some other departments’ requests,” Murray said.
Murray also wondered about the city’s decision to maintain such a large rainy day fund, saying that some of those monies, too, could have been reallocated elsewhere.
“One of the other issues was the 232 days of operating funds. … Having that is a good idea to have that excess available, but, perhaps lowering it to 202 days would have given you an additional $14 million that could have been used on other requests,” Murray said.
Rodriguez, the city manager, thanked Murray for his perspective, saying that city staff had actually considered his points while drafting the budget.
“I appreciate that last comment very much,” Rodriguez said.
He added that the commission will likely vote on additional funding allocations later in the fiscal year.
“Point well taken, and that’s actually something that we discussed,” Rodriguez said.
The city commission is expected to give its stamp of approval on the final budget at its next meeting.
Gabriel Keith Escalante's co-defendant Irene Navejar hides her face Thursday, June 2, 2022, during a break in her co-defendant's capital murder trial. (Xavier Alvarez/The Monitor)
Gabriel Keith Escalante looks toward the back of the courtroom before the start of his capital murder trial in the 92nd District Court on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])
A 46-year-old Edinburg woman who reached a deal with prosecutors to testify against her former boyfriend in 2022 in a double homicide trial skipped out on a plea hearing Wednesday, court records indicate.
Irene Navejar was scheduled to plea to her role in the April 23, 2018 beating death of Alejandro Salinas, 53, and the asphyxiation death of his mother, Olivia Salinas, 73, according to court records.
Testimony during the trial of 46-year-old Edinburg resident Gabriel Keith Escalante indicates that he killed the mother and son over money they won in a settlement.
Escalante was convicted in June 2022 of capital murder of multiple persons and of tampering with evidence with intent to impair. He is serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Navejar has pleaded not guilty to capital murder of multiple persons, murder and tampering with evidence with intent to impair.
The details of her scheduled plea weren’t immediately available in online court records.
Navejar’s testimony was voluntary and prosecutors granted her “use immunity,” meaning her testimony then couldn’t be used against her in her prosecution.
She cried as she walked jurors through the final moments of Alejandro and Salinas’ lives.
Navejar said Escalante and Alejandro had been smoking crack and drinking at the Salinas residence when Escalante said he had more drugs at his apartment so the trio went to his home.
Irene Navejar
That’s when Navejar said she heard a scuffle breakout between Escalante and Alejandro and when she went to investigate, she saw Escalante beating his friend, eventually slamming the back of his head on the tile.
“That’s when I saw the back of his head bleeding,” she said at the time.
Navejar said on the stand that she begged Escalante to stop but he pointed a gun at her and told her to go outside. She also claimed Escalante forced her to put Alejandro’s body in the back of Olivia’s GMC Sierra before he drove around aimlessly before going back to the Salinas residence.
She told jurors that Escalante ordered her to look for the settlement money and that Escalante beat Olivia before placing a bag over her head, leaving her to suffocate and die.
Court records indicate a warrant was issued for Navejar’s arrest.
