Henry A. Moses and Javier Mancha Elected to Maverick County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 Board of Directors
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2022
The Maverick County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 Board of Directors held their monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, and officially approved the canvassing of the May 7th Board of Directors Election and elected new Board Officers.
Brenda McCalip, General Manager, announced the May 7, 2022 Election Results for two Board of Director positions on the ballot, citing Henry Abdallah Moses received 102 votes, Javier Mancha received 98 votes, Juan Jaime Luna received 72 votes, Beyer Dash Junfin received 57 votes, Juan Manuel García, Jr. received 25 votes, and Hugo Urbina received 5 votes. The two candidates receiving the most votes, Henry Abdalla Moses and Javier Mancha, were elected to a four-year term on the MCWCID No. 1 Board of Directors.
Following the approval of the canvassing of the May 7th Election results, Henry Abdallah Moses and Javier Mancha were sworn-in and administered the Oath of Office.
The new MCWCID No. 1 Board of Directors proceeded to elect Officers with Randy Edwards re-elected as President, Gabriel De La Cerda was elected Vice-President, and Juan Perez was re-elected as Secretary/Treasurer.
Newly-elected Board Member Henry Abdallah Moses stated he was born in Eagle Pass and raised in Quemado, Texas by his parents, Abdallah and Amelia Moses, at the family’s farm and had grown-up around the water district and was familiar with the needs of District members since his father served several terms on its Board of Directors. Moses added he wanted to serve on the Board to bring leadership and new ideas to the district. He thanked all District members who supported him and participated in the election.
Board Member Javier Mancha stated he was honored to be re-elected for a fourth term and thanked all District members who voted in the May 7th Election. Mancha added he simply wanted to lower the cost of irrigation water to farmers and ranchers and ensure all District members received their fair share of water allocation for their farms and ranches.
During the meeting, Board Member Mancha asked District General Counsel Robert “Woody” Wilson if it was legal or proper for a Board Member not be notified of a special meeting of the Board since he was not given notice of a Board meeting held on April 29, 2022. District General Manager Brenda McCalip jumped in and replied that since Mancha had advised her not to contact him by phone, she was unable to notify him of the meeting. Previously, the District would hand-deliver Board meeting notices, agendas, and materials to the Board members homes. Mancha, a Vietnam War veteran, has a hearing disability and often does not hear his cell phone ring tone. Wilson recommended the District obtain Mancha a new District phone and other reasonable means of notifying him of Board meetings.
One of the agenda items approved by the Board was the creation of a District Committee to address all issues concerning the district-owned Travis D. Kelly Hydroelectric Power Plant as it is “the money-maker” of the district and requires regular maintenance and improvements to keep it in operation. McCalip noted that the Hydroelectric Power Plant is in operation and recently generated between $7,000 to $9,000 per day with a four man crew. McCalip noted the District has $5.4 million in reserves due mainly to the Hydroelectric power plant revenues.
Named to the newly-created Hydroelectric Power Plant Committee are Board Vice-President Gabriel De La Cerda, as Chair of the committee, Board member Juan Perez, Brenda McCalip, Jacob Moen, Joe Martinez, and former Board member Beyer Dash Junfin.
