City leaders swallow grades with grain of salt

Constituent feedback for a “City Commission Report Card” published last Sunday was mixed, as was the commission’s response to the grades’ usefulness or importance.

The online and newspaper survey asked respondents to rate the commissioners and mayor on attendance, conduct, keeping platform promises and addressing constituent concerns, including the results of a Brownsville 2020 survey. While individual members’ grades ranged between A’s and F’s, they averaged a high C for their first 100 days together.

The grades were compiled from 481 online and paper cards. The survey results are available online at Brownsville2020.com.

MAYOR PAT M. AHUMADA JR. GRADE: C-

“I don’t worry about those things. I don’t let that faze me at all,” Ahumada said of the grading exercise meant to collect a sample of opinions from Herald readers and visitors to the 2020 site.

The mayor believes the majority of voters that responded to the survey do not represent his support base.

“Most don’t go online to vote,” he said. “I have a silent majority and we proved it in the election.”

Instead, he’s convinced that a group of “people who cannot accept” that he’s mayor, sat behind numerous computers giving him bad marks. He points to his C- for attendance as evidence of skewed responses.

Ahumada has attended almost all meetings, except when on other city business.

As for his sometimesrocky relationship with others in this City Commission class, seated in July, the mayor said he’s doing his part to make it work. Recent blowups were swept off as bad politics.

“We have seen the politics on the commission where I propose something and they go against it. I have tried to work with my colleagues. I don’t think I have done anything wrong,” he said.

Detractors “are still in the campaign mode,” Ahumada said. “I am their mayor, whether they like it or not.”

COMMISSIONER CHARLIE ATKINSON GRADE: C

“The real report card is on Election Day,” Atkinson said and counts his supporters on that day as well.

“I represent the class of people who do support me when it comes time to vote,” he said.

Atkinson ran unopposed

for re-election to the

District 2 seat.

Appointed mayor protem by the commission at Ahumada’s initiative, Atkinson says he’s a “full time commissioner” and in fact is fighting to regain employment by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency that terminated him after he first ran for office, citing a conflict.

“I get it done,” Atkinson said.

“I’m amazed, but you roll with it. It is what it is.”

COMMISSIONER EDWARD CAMARILLO GRADE: B

The grades and comments gathered in the report card are a “good opportunity for the people of Brownsville to tell us how they believe our roles are as city commissioners, and how they view us,” Camarillo said.

He urged Brownsville 2020’s focus to extend to other government boards and leadership in the community.

“I think it’s great information and I am glad that The Herald and Center for Civic Engagement were able to collaborate on this pilot project.”

Camarillo, the youngest on the commission, is open to improvement.

“We get sidetracked by a lot of things,” he said, “and I want to stay more focused on the real issues, streets and drainage.”

A review of commission agendas since July showed city leaders addressed the condition of city streets only twice and cut funding for streets in the new fiscal budget. Arts, parks and recreation areas were discussed about 10 times and funding for these operations was increased.

COMMISSIONER CARLOS CISNEROS GRADE: B-

The report card holds little sway with Cisneros who said that while it’s “not a bad deal,” he doesn’t consider it an “actual” poll.

“People are telling me that I am doing a good job and that I represent them well,” Cisneros said. “That is what I listen to.”

The sampling of community opinions was an unscientific exercise, organizers have said. The purpose, they explained, is to offer city leaders feedback from a portion of their constituents.

Cisneros doesn’t serve for “praise,” he said and recognizes that he can’t make every person happy.

“I base myself on the comments of the people that I see,” he continued. “I am just going to continue to do what is right and what I feel is right and that is all I will continue to do.”

COMMISSIONER RICARDO LONGORIA B-

The survey will prove useful for Longoria who said he will “take it objectively and look at the strengths and weaknesses

and work more on the positive and continue to

address the negatives.”

He believes the survey was objective.

“I didn’t get a bad grade and that is a good thing,” he said. “For the people that did give me or any of my colleagues a good mark, it’s a good thing.”

Longoria already knows what he’d like to improve as an individual, starting with keeping a cooler head when things heat up in commission chambers.

Longoria and Ahumada recently clashed on appointing Manny Vasquez to the Brownsville Public Utilities Board after the mayor removed Vasquez from the city’s Housing Authority board.

The problems, as Longoria sees it, begin when the mayor “insults” others or tries to undermine the commission’s work. “The city has enough problems, don’t give it any more,” he said.

“We need to work out of each others’ strengths and help each other with our weaknesses.”

Longoria began his first term in office under former Mayor Eddie Treviño Jr. Then, differences “were taken care of in the back,” Longoria said. “We didn’t air our dirty laundry.

COMMISSIONER LEO GARZA C

Garza is disappointed with the grade he received, “very disappointed.”

“I have not missed one meeting and I get a B (for attendance)?” he said. “That is ridiculous.”

The first-time commissioner was upset that he ranked on par with Atkinson, who also got a C.

“And then I got a C average, identical to Charlie,” he complained. “I don’t know why they were identical. I never argue, never insult anyone, don’t get personal, and when I speak it is because I know what I am talking about.”

Garza says he’s worked to be impartial and make informed decisions.

“I spent my time researching and asking questions,” he said. “I am disappointed that people voted that way because I have put my heart into this and I believe in what I am doing and not in one side or the other.”

In the end, he said, “I am for the citizens of Browns-ville and what is wrong needs to be corrected.”

COMMISSIONER ANTHONY P. TROIANI B+

Troiani was not available for comment on this article.