Eagle Pass City Council Withdraws Naming Historic Eagle Pass Public Library In Honor of Mayor Ramsey English Cantu

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2017

The City of Eagle Pass, Texas City Council withdrew Agenda Item No. 1 of their December 28, 2017 Special City Council Meeting calling for the naming of the Historic Eagle Pass Public Library in honor of Mayor Ramsey English Cantu after Mayor Cantu personally thanked Mayor Pro-Tem Yolanda P. Ramon and Council Member Rudy Villalpando for placing this agenda item and requested that the agenda item be withdrawn because the City of Eagle Pass had more important business matters to consider and take care of.

Mayor Cantu stated that he was honored that Mayor Pro-Tem Yolanda P. Ramon and City Council Member Rudy Villalpando had placed this agenda item and sought to honor him, but that the City of Eagle Pass had needed to focus on more pressing issues facing the City at the present time.  Mayor Cantu added that the Eagle Pass Public Library has always been a priority for him during his 11 year political career.

City Council Member Luis E. Sifuentes made the motion to withdraw the naming of the historic Eagle Pass Public Library in honor of Mayor Ramsey English Cantu at the request of Mayor Cantu.  Sifuentes stated that he commended Mayor Cantu for his relentless leadership in renovating and expanding the Eagle Pass Public Library and getting it completed.  Sifuentes added that the renovated Eagle Pass Public Library is an “amazing” building and hopes local citizens will come out and enjoy the facility as it is one of the finest in the area.

Mayor Pro-Tem Yolanda P. Ramon seconded the motion to withdraw the agenda item of naming the Public Library in honor of Mayor Ramsey English Cantu.  Mayor Pro-Tem Ramon stated that if anybody that should not be honoring Mayor Cantu is her because she did not have the support of Mayor Cantu when she was elected to the City Council, but after her election she noticed that if it had not been for Mayor Cantu’s efforts the historic Eagle Pass Public Library Building would have probably been demolished.  Mayor Pro-Tem Ramon stated that she commended Mayor Cantu for his leadership in getting the Public Library renovated and expanded and that he had done an awesome job.

Mayor Pro-Tem Ramon added that this agenda item will be discussed in the future, raising the suggestion that the agenda item withdrawal may be temporary and reconsidered by the City Council in the future.

The Eagle Pass City Council unanimously approved to withdraw the agenda item calling for the naming of the historic Eagle Pass Public Library in honor of Mayor Ramsey English Cantu at the request of Mayor Cantu.
The City of Eagle Pass has placed a large bronze plaque on the left exterior wall of the newly renovated historic Eagle Pass Public Library commemorating the Eagle Pass City Council and Mayor Ramsey English Cantu for the renovation and expansion of the public library.

According to a City of Eagle Pass-produced video on the City’s Facebook, the cost of the renovation and expansion of the historic Eagle Pass Public Library was $4 Million.  The City of Eagle Pass approved approximately $3.5 Million in bonds for the renovation and expansion public library project and later reimbursed itself $1.8 Million of these funds from the City’s Hotel Occupancy Room Tax Fund.  The City of Eagle Pass has not provided taxpayers the total cost of the renovation and expansion public library project.

According to a City Council meeting in December of 2017, the City of Eagle Pass has placed the $1.8 Million in funds that were reimbursed from the City’s Hotel Occupancy Room Tax monies in an account earmarked for improvements in the downtown and Main Street projects.