Eagle Pass City Council approves to interview Six Candidates for City Manager

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

The Eagle Pass City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 to discuss the Eagle Pass City Manager position and candidates which have applied for the vacant position. Former Eagle Pass Water Works and Sewer System General Manager Roberto Gonzalez was appointed by the City Council as Interim City Manager until a full-time City Manager is hired.

The City Council discussed the City Manager position under agenda item No. 7- executive session in matters covered by Section 551.074 of Chapter 551, Texas Government Code–Discussion of Personnel–Evaluation of candidate resumes submitted for City Manager position and establishing procedure for formal selection and interview process; discussion and possible action in open session regarding the above and including but not limited to the selection of a City Manager; and/or authorize a city representative to commence negotiations regarding employment terms with the selected finalist; and/or authorize City to re-advertise City Manager position for an additional period of time as established by Council.

The City Council moved into executive session to discuss the application pool, which includes 16 candidates who have applied for the City Manager position to date.

Among the list of 16 applicants, there are seven individuals who had applied for the City Manager position during the month of January 2016, including Ronald Hixson, Jr., Rudy Bowles, Jesus Sanchez, Yarah Mansour, Juan Francisco Zuniga, Julio Cesar Martinez, and Manuel De la Rosa, Jr.

The 16 applicants for the second round of the City Manager position include former Eagle Pass Independent School District Superintendent Jesus Sanchez, Manuel de la Rosa Jr., Yarah Mansour, Julio Cesar Martinez, Kyle McCain, Ronald Hixson, Jr., former Eagle Pass High School Principal Rudy Bowles, Jr., Juan Francisco Zuniga, Monica Martinez, Kevin G. Huckabee, William Arthur DiLibero,Catrina Maxwell, Mashyell Marie Calderon, Sergio Javier Nandin, Juan G. Ortiz, and Lynn R. Barett.

The City Council had previously appointed City Public Works Director Hector Chavez, Sr. as Interim City Manger on August 11, 2015 when they suspended former City Manager Gloria Barrientos and reached an agreement with Barrientos and her attorney to pay her a severance and exit agreement of $55,000.

The City Council unanimously approved the hiring of Chavez as the Interim City Manager on August 11, 2015 and later as the full-time City Manager on February 2, 2016 without interviewing any of the candidates.

Former City Manager Hector Chavez, Sr. was arrested by the FBI on four charges by a federal grand jury indictment on April 14, 2016 for bribery and corruption and lying to a federal agent. Chavez’s federal criminal case remains pending and he is currently detained at the Val Verde Correctional Center-GEO without bond.   Chavez’s arrest expands the FBI’s investigation of corruption and bribery in Maverick County, Texas to the City of Eagle Pass, Texas as Chavez was the City’s Public Works Director while he was simultaneously moonlighting as a private contractor with the Maverick County Landfill.

Once back in open session, Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey E. Cantu addressed agenda item No. 7.

“The Council has reviewed the applications that have been submitted before the entire governing body. There have been a total of 16 applications that were received and the city council has had an opportunity to review. At this point the council would like to move forward with processing , interviews to begin the process and for administration to direct Human Resources to process interview schedules for the following candidates. The candidate that is listed as No. 2 Jesus Sanchez, No. 3 Manuel De La Rosa Jr., No. 6 Rudolph (Rudy) Bowles, Jr., No. 7 Juan Francisco Zuniga, No.10 Monica Martinez, and No. 12 William Arthur DiLibero. This are the first six candidates the council would like to schedule interviews for possibly for the dates of July 12 and 14, 2016.” said Mayor Cantu.

“The council would also like to leave the application position open until this position is filled.” added Mayor Cantu.

Mayor Cantu then relinquished his chair to make a motion on the item, beginning the applicant interview process.

The motion was then put up for a vote and was approved unanimously by the attending city council members.

City council member Yolanda Ramon was not physically present at the meeting but did participate in executive session agenda item No.7 via teleconference call.

Interim City Manager Roberto Gonzalez will remain until a full-time City Manager is hired by the City Council.