Eagle Pass City Manager Gloria Barrientos suspended by City Council majority, Hector Chavez, Sr. named Interim City Manager

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2015

The City of Eagle Pass, Texas City Council suspended City Manager Gloria Barrientos from employment effective immediately until Tuesday, August 18, 2015 to allow legal counsel to work out an exit package and named Public Works Director Hector Chavez, Sr. as Interim City Manager after a marathon five and one half hours long Executive Session on a split 4 to 1 vote with Mayor Ramsey English Cantu making the motion and Councilwoman Gloria E. Hernandez seconding the motion with Council members Rudy Villalpando and Yolanda P. Ramon in favor while Councilman Luis E. Sifuentes voted against at 11:30 P.M. on Tuesday, August 11, 2015.

Mayor Cantu stepped down from the Chair of the special City Council meeting to make the motion himself to suspend City Manager Gloria Barrientos effective immediately and appointing Public Works Director Hector Chavez, Sr. as Interim City Manager while Mayor Pro-Tem Rudy Villalpando took over as Chair of the meeting.  Councilwoman Gloria E. Hernandez seconded Mayor’s Cantu motion.  In the end, four voted in favor of the motion while only one against.

The City Council will revisit the issue at its next meeting on Tuesday, August 18, 2015, which may result in the formal termination of City Manager Gloria Barrientos unless she resigns before said meeting or a City Council majority changes its decision.

The suspension of City Manager Gloria Barrientos comes at a very critical period of the 2014-2015 fiscal year as the City of Eagle Pass is currently in its budget and tax rate decision-making period for the following 2015-2016  fiscal year.  Earlier last week, the City Council had approved the first reading of an Ordinance raising the ad valorem tax rate by almost six cents for the 2015-2016 fiscal year while still facing a $1.2 Million budget deficit next year.

The City of Eagle Pass City Council earlier this summer of 2015 approved the issuance of almost $10 Million in Certificates of Obligation Notes to fund the improvement of certain City buildings, projects, and infrastructure as well as capital equipment purchases under City Manager Gloria Barrientos’ helm.

City Manager Gloria Barrientos has served four years as the City’s top administrator.  City Public Works Director Hector Chavez, Sr. is once again asked by City Council to step-in as Interim City Manager until further notice or action taken by the City Council.