HARLINGEN — After more than a year, the Tony Butler Golf Course’s nine-hole short course is reopening just in time to welcome back some of its biggest fans — Winter Texan players.
Earlier this week, a split city commission called on officials to reopen holes 19 to 27, which the past commission closed last year to cut maintenance costs while mulling the sale of a 30-acre tract running across holes 19 to 23, prime land along Interstate 69’s frontage road with an estimated value of $5 million.
During a marathon five-hour meeting, Commissioners Frank Puente, Rene Perez and Frank Morales voted to reopen the short course while Commissioners Michael Mezmar and Richard Uribe voted against the move, pointing to costs of as much as $1.3 million as officials work to balance a proposed $49 million general fund budget carrying a $1.3 million shortfall.
Meanwhile, commissioners held off on calling a May 7 election that would allow voters to decide if they want to set term limits on the mayor’s and commissioners’ tenures.
After a closed-door meeting, commissioners held off on taking action on a call to review City Manager Dan Serna’s contract.
During the open meeting, commissioners voted to search for a firm to conduct an audit aimed at evaluating the city management’s performance.
During heated debate, the commission’s new majority voted to reopen the golf course’s Executive Nine, counting on drawing Winter Texans back to the course that’s run deficits for about eight years.
“We want to open up the Executive Nine so we can be ready for the Winter Texans, so that way we get some revenue so we can see if this could actually be self-sustaining,” Perez said, adding he would vote to shut down the short course if its revenues didn’t justify reopening costs. “Right now, we’re trying to get it open to see if it’s going to be viable.”
While Perez said staff estimated it would cost $36,882 to reopen the short course, Mezmar and Uribe warned it could cost about $1.3 million to overhaul its old irrigation system and upgrade its greens as officials work to balance a proposed $49 million general fund budget carrying a $1.3 million shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year.
“Where’s the money going to come from?” Mezmar asked, arguing the money could fund drainage upgrades and street repairs.
“Drainage of floodwaters is a very important issue and if we take $1.3 million or $800,000 out, that’s less money to allocate to pay for drainage,” he said. “So we have to ask the question — is drainage more important, are roads more important or is the golf course?”
Meanwhile, Uribe said he didn’t want to pull money out of city departments to fund the short course’s reopening.
“My concern is, how are we going to pay for that — what are we going to take out of that budget?” he asked, referring to the upcoming fiscal year’s proposed general fund budget. “We don’t have a definite answer on where the money’s going to come from. Until we know where the money’s going to come from, I don’t feel comfortable because what are we going to take out? I definitely don’t want to commit to something (if) we’ve got to pull from another department.”
Commissioners hold off on term limit election
Amid heated debate, commissioners held off on calling an election which would allow voters to decide whether to set term limits on the mayor’s and commissioners’ tenures.
“This is not a personal thing whether you’re for term limits or not,” Perez told commissioners. “This is about giving the people of Harlingen a choice.”
While Brownsville and McAllen voters overwhelmingly voted to set term limits during May 1 elections, cities such as Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin have also set limits on their elected officials’ tenures, he said.
“A lot of people are trying to say this is put in because we’re trying to get the mayor,” Perez said, referring to Mayor Chris Boswell, who’s served as mayor since 2007 while overwhelmingly defeating opponents in later elections.
“This would not even affect the mayor,” Perez said. “If he chooses to run again next year, all the years he’s been in there would not count against him.”
Meanwhile, Puente called on commissioners to hold off on action in order to discuss the details of the proposed term limits.
“I keep hearing you want to give the citizens a choice,” Puente told Perez, adding voters will get a chance to decide whether they want him to serve a second term during next May’s election. “I’m for term limits somewhat but they’re going to have a choice next May in my case.”
Puente also said he wanted to know how setting term limits would impact the city’s five districts’ representation.
“In term limits, we also have to consider our districts because those are probably more than likely going to change because the consensus is going to change those districts so that decision is going to come back to us as well,” he told Perez. “So I’m thinking once we have our districts agreed upon, then we can bring up term limits.”
Meanwhile, Uribe said he wanted the ballot’s proposition to give voters options on term limits.
“I don’t like the all-or-nothing approach you have,” he told Perez. “Like you say, you want to give the people a choice so you put all the options (on the ballot).”
Call for election on airport board appointments
However, commissioners voted to call a May 7 election to let voters decide whether they want to revise the City Charter to change the way appointments are made to the prominent airport board.
Now, the charter gives the mayor sole authority to appoint the nine-member board.
However, Perez said he wanted voters to decide whether to allow commissioners, along with the mayor, to appoint members as part of a move to add “diversity” to the board.
After discussion, commissioners proposed a seven-member board, with commissioners appointing five members along with the mayor’s two appointments.
No action on Serna’s contract
After a closed-session meeting, commissioners took no action on Perez’s and Morales’ call to review Serna’s contract.
Since last year, Puente has questioned the contract requiring four commissioners’ votes with the mayor’s consent to fire Serna without paying a severance package including a year’s salary.
“In order to terminate the city manager for good cause, four out of five commission members must vote to terminate and the mayor must also concur in the decision to terminate for good cause,” the contract states.
According to the contract, “for good cause is defined as having been found to have committed misconduct after an investigation has been conducted. Misconduct is defined as violation of any criminal laws of a Class B (misdemeanor) or above.”
The contract, drafted under former City Attorney Rick Bilbie in November 2015, allows a three-member majority to fire Serna without cause, Boswell has said.
During the meeting, commissioners voted to go ahead with a search for a firm to conduct a “performance audit” aimed at evaluating the city management’s efficiency.
The commission’s majority is calling for the hire of an auditing firm which would “conduct a variety of performance audit services,” according to the meeting agenda’s executive summary.
“The auditing services may include financial, compliance, operational, investigative or other performance audits,” the document states.
