COUNCIL SET TO GIVE SAUCEDA CONTRACT
Let's just start off with the MarfaGov word of the day. Today's word is:
Sauceda's contract ended on February 22, 2006, almost one year ago. He has been month-to-month Tuesday-to-Thursday since then. In two years, he has fired the comptroller, broken every budget law on the book, bungled every grant he touched, cheated the city out of $2500 worth of vacation pay, cheated the city out of $10,000 worth of travel time, mismanaged the employees, mislead council on expenditure reports, conspired with the mayor to control the agenda and spoken politely. Are we paying him to work or be polite?
Sauceda has three solid supporters on council. Unfortunately two of them are appointees. Petrosky quit the council once already. Rivera was rejected by voters last time around. Martinez strongly supports Sauceda. Salgado opposes. Williams is on the fence. Williams went on record as being unhappy with his performance, but hopeful he will change his stripes. Two elected council members lack full confidence (Williams and Salgado). One has total confidence (Martinez). Two were appointed, probably with consideration of their outspoken support of Sauceda.
This council has no business giving Flo a contract. Gloria Rivera has already started her move out of town. Petrosky was appointed to council an hour before he gave his buddy Sauceda a vote of confidence and may not be running again. If Flo gets a contract with a $27,000 severance package, this council will be leaving the next council with an outrageous financial burden should they lack confidence in the man.
This council had an opportunity one year ago to review Sauceda, correct his failings and give him a contract. They avoided the subject for a year. These three supporters may not be around to work with Sauceda after the election. It is wrong and unfair of them to reward him a contract right before the election. The next council should have the right to choose their own administrator without having their hands tied by an outgoing council dominated by unelected appointees.
I talked to the District Attorney about the unauthorized vacation sales. He says that any misappropriation of $2500 is a felony. The city deserves a full investigation of these financial dealings. Council has no business discussing his contract when crimes may have been committed. What are they thinking?
It appears that council is trying to guarantee Sauceda an income even if they are not around to work with him. This is outrageous and fiscally irresponsible. Council should do the right thing and let the next council decide if they want to keep him around. Promising him a contract right before their term is up is favoritism that will hurt this city. Sauceda has sued just about every city that ever employed him. He will sue Marfa when we finally get rid of him. It's best if we don't give him a contract and a severance package before he sues us. Happy Valentine's Day big buddy. It seems you have charmed some council members into loving you more than they love Marfa.
In other news, it looks like the Sauceda/Lanman dance is going well, and Lanman is getting his money's worth from Sauceda. I reported on how Lanman is trying to make the permit review committee look like his idea, and how he is trying to keep regular citizens off the committee in favor of his "professional" friends. The permit review committee is on the agenda for approval and the agenda item is worded to appoint the members right away. Lanman has been cajoling his buddies to fill the slots ever since he learned he was losing his permit abuse power. Council should reject these political shenanigans and invite all interested citizens to volunteer, not just the mayor's friends.
Council will also discuss the Employee Handbook. Sauceda left the word "action" off the agenda to make it impossible for the city council to take any action on the subject. Sauceda has decided that they should just talk about it. By removing that word, he controls council and limits their ability to act in the best interest of citizens. Look at the agenda. He's a sly one.
The Board of Adjustments meeting is Monday night with a full agenda. Come on down to city hall and see how a professional and functional board operates.
- chutzpah (also chutzpa or hutzpah or hutzpa): noun, informal, shameless audacity; impudence; utter nerve; effrontery, gall.
Sauceda's contract ended on February 22, 2006, almost one year ago. He has been month-to-month Tuesday-to-Thursday since then. In two years, he has fired the comptroller, broken every budget law on the book, bungled every grant he touched, cheated the city out of $2500 worth of vacation pay, cheated the city out of $10,000 worth of travel time, mismanaged the employees, mislead council on expenditure reports, conspired with the mayor to control the agenda and spoken politely. Are we paying him to work or be polite?
Sauceda has three solid supporters on council. Unfortunately two of them are appointees. Petrosky quit the council once already. Rivera was rejected by voters last time around. Martinez strongly supports Sauceda. Salgado opposes. Williams is on the fence. Williams went on record as being unhappy with his performance, but hopeful he will change his stripes. Two elected council members lack full confidence (Williams and Salgado). One has total confidence (Martinez). Two were appointed, probably with consideration of their outspoken support of Sauceda.
This council has no business giving Flo a contract. Gloria Rivera has already started her move out of town. Petrosky was appointed to council an hour before he gave his buddy Sauceda a vote of confidence and may not be running again. If Flo gets a contract with a $27,000 severance package, this council will be leaving the next council with an outrageous financial burden should they lack confidence in the man.
This council had an opportunity one year ago to review Sauceda, correct his failings and give him a contract. They avoided the subject for a year. These three supporters may not be around to work with Sauceda after the election. It is wrong and unfair of them to reward him a contract right before the election. The next council should have the right to choose their own administrator without having their hands tied by an outgoing council dominated by unelected appointees.
I talked to the District Attorney about the unauthorized vacation sales. He says that any misappropriation of $2500 is a felony. The city deserves a full investigation of these financial dealings. Council has no business discussing his contract when crimes may have been committed. What are they thinking?
It appears that council is trying to guarantee Sauceda an income even if they are not around to work with him. This is outrageous and fiscally irresponsible. Council should do the right thing and let the next council decide if they want to keep him around. Promising him a contract right before their term is up is favoritism that will hurt this city. Sauceda has sued just about every city that ever employed him. He will sue Marfa when we finally get rid of him. It's best if we don't give him a contract and a severance package before he sues us. Happy Valentine's Day big buddy. It seems you have charmed some council members into loving you more than they love Marfa.
In other news, it looks like the Sauceda/Lanman dance is going well, and Lanman is getting his money's worth from Sauceda. I reported on how Lanman is trying to make the permit review committee look like his idea, and how he is trying to keep regular citizens off the committee in favor of his "professional" friends. The permit review committee is on the agenda for approval and the agenda item is worded to appoint the members right away. Lanman has been cajoling his buddies to fill the slots ever since he learned he was losing his permit abuse power. Council should reject these political shenanigans and invite all interested citizens to volunteer, not just the mayor's friends.
Council will also discuss the Employee Handbook. Sauceda left the word "action" off the agenda to make it impossible for the city council to take any action on the subject. Sauceda has decided that they should just talk about it. By removing that word, he controls council and limits their ability to act in the best interest of citizens. Look at the agenda. He's a sly one.
The Board of Adjustments meeting is Monday night with a full agenda. Come on down to city hall and see how a professional and functional board operates.
posted by RobC at 10:51 PM
7 Comments:
THIS JUST IN:
Flo will not confess to this, but he called Leo and told him that the meeting Tuesday is put off til Thursday so the junta can go to the TxDOT Entrada meeting on Tues night. He knew this full well when he posted the agenda last night but he has learned (the old dog can be taught one trick maybe?) that chivying the agenda around gets him in hot water.
Another gem (this is being checked for accuracy but it is another case of the Mayor and Flo going out on their own and setting up city policy)
Flo and the Mayor have asked the Presidio County Appraisal Board to take over the permitting process. The Appraisal Board has agreed and will get half of the permitting revenues.
This is an outrageous blasphemy of municipal power!
Absolutely unbelievable. Lanman and Sauceda are trying to undo the city. What do they have against Marfa? The appraisal district has their hands full trying to get appraisals in line with values. How many citizens wnat their permits approved by the people that set their appraisal value?
And why would those two be so willing to give more city money away. Take it easy Lanman, you are going to get carpel tunnel syndrome with your repeated and rapid handouts of city money to others.
Seriously. Lanman and Sauceda have handled permits with incompetence. Now, when independent citizens are about to get involved and clean up their hoodoodoo mess, they want to pay another goverment entity to do a city job. Unbelievable.
By the way, this is fresh breaking news that comes to you through the blog in real time. The paper cannot cover these developments in a weekly format and are not going to learn about these things in official meetings until it is too late.
Meeting still on for Tuesday. Seems the TxDOT meeting, which was announced in the papers as "March 13" was thought to be tomorrow night.
Since Rivera no longer has a residence in the City (her house has been sold and the new owner is now in possession), how can she still be on the Council?
uh, friends in high places?
uh, malfeasance?
uh, conflict of interest?
folks, the system is broke. david loves flo because flo has been bought and paid for and will do david's bidding. period. david wants to keep flo. even if he is tossed on his arse in may, david will want to keep his influence at city hall via flo.
flo just wants to keep his meal ticket.
my point is that david gave his word of honor by swearing an oath to uphold the law. the law says gloria is off when she moves. dave and flo will twist the situation to their benefit. they owe actions based on their word of honor and respect for our law. his word of honor and four quarters will get you a cup of coffee. nothing else.
flo says dave is CFO. he is not. the State of Texas says dave is CEO. he is.
as CEO, his job is to make sure the city is following the law. the buck stops at the mayor's desk. except in marfa, where he gives the buck and many more bucks to the administrator from South Texas.
don't like it? change it in may.
This just in (it will be reported on in tomorrow's BBS in accurate form) Duncan Disposal workers in Alpine have gone on strike.
Post a Comment
<< Home