Eagle Pass City Council Declines Employee Evaluation Survey of City Manager
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
The Eagle Pass City Council declined to establish a City Employee Evaluation Survey of the City Manager at their regular meeting held on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 except City Councilwoman Monica J. Cruz who made the motion for its approval but died for a lack of a second and a vote on the agenda item.
City Councilwoman Monica J. Cruz placed the item of establishing an official City Employee Evaluation Survey of the City Manager on the agenda after many concerns and complaints raised by city employees concerning City Manager George Antuna.
The Eagle Pass City Council evaluated and reviewed City Manager George Antuna’s performance during the past year at their regular and special meetings held in October 2021, granting him an extension of a one year employment contract and a $12,000 pay raise from $143,000 to $155,000 annually plus health insurance and benefits.
Cruz stated that she received many complaints from city employees concerning the city manager and wanted to allow city employees to have their voices and concerns be considered when evaluating the city manager annually. Cruz added that city employees work with the city manager and have a fair and objective evaluation of the city manager. Cruz noted that some city employees who have raised concerns regarding the city manager have been “hurt” for raising their concerns, requiring a forum to express their concerns without fear of being retaliated.
Mayor Pro-Tem Yolanda P. Ramon stated that city employees do not work directly with the city manager, but rather the city manager works directly with the Department Head Directors. Ramon noted that city employees speak daily with her concerning the city, including three employees who called her on her cell phone on the day of the meeting (November 2, 2021).
Councilman Elias Diaz stated that he speaks with city staff regularly, but did not believe it was the way to go doing an employee evaluation survey. Diaz noted he raises city employees concerns as they arise.
Councilman William “Billy” Davis stated if there was any other avenues that could be done, cautioning that a city employee evaluation survey of the city manager could open a “Pandora’s Box.” Davis expressed concern about the survey results being confidential.
City Attorney Heriberto Morales stated that such an evaluation may be handled by the City Human Resources Department, but cautioned about the city evaluations survey results could be subject to an Open Records request from the public or taxpayer.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. noted that all city employees are important, but did not support giving city employees a voice in the evaluation of the city manager as suggested by Councilwoman Monica J. Cruz.
Councilwoman Cruz made a motion to establish a city employee evaluation survey of the city manager, but the rest of the city council and mayor declined to second her motion, causing the agenda item to fail for a lack of a second.
