By Juan Montoya
Someone sold a bill of goods to our pal Jerry McHale in hopes of casting suspicion on the selection process used to pick the new CEO of the Grater Brownsville Corporation.
Someone sold a bill of goods to our pal Jerry McHale in hopes of casting suspicion on the selection process used to pick the new CEO of the Grater Brownsville Corporation.
And all indications is that it's the remnants of Brownsville's "Old Guard" who did not get their way in hand-picking who they wanted.
Our pal over at The McHale Report was given a copy of the contract dated June 24th signed by GBIC chair Cesar De Leon and Toyota Corp. executive Mario Losoya. Then, on June 26th, a divided GBIC board voted 3-2 to accept the contract that had been negotiated between De Leon and Losoya.
Those voting in favor of the negotiated contract were chair De Leon, Cameron County Treasurer David Betancourt and city commission Jessica Tetreau. Those voting against approving the contract were Nurith Galonsky and John Cowen.
Losoya had emerged as the leading candidate recommended by headhunter Jorgenson Consulting, a nationally-recognized executive search firm serving organizations in non-profit, economic an governmental entities. The company boasts of their more than 25 years' of experience in searching for talent.
At first blush, the signing of the contract by De Leon and Losoya June 24 when the vote to approve it was June 26 may seem a bit suspicious.
But it is the classic case of a purloined meeting that solves this mystery.
You see, the board had voted unanimously June 21 – after coming out of executive session with the board attorneys dealing with the personnel matter of the CEO selection – to proceed with with the attorney's recommendations and make the offer to Losoya and have De Leon negotiate the specifics.
Board member John Cowen did not attend that meeting.
It was only after the contract had been negotiated and signed by both men that the board again met on June 26 and took a vote on whether to accept the contract under the terms negotiated between De Leon and Losoya. The GBIC contract with Losoya pays him $220,000 his inaugural year and a subsequent $250,000 salary the following years with an annual $30,000 performance bonus. He is currently making around $200,000 with Toyota. The bonus is due him if he meets the GBIC's benchmarks.
This is where members Golonsky and Cowen voted against the terms listed on the contract and the majority for. The vote would not have been against Losoya, but rather against the specific salary terms negotiated. Now, Nurith Galonsky is a member of the Brownsville Public Utility Board. Why hasn't she been as thrifty and fiscally conservative there?
Between 2013 to 2017, General Manager and CEO John Bruciak's salary increased by 109,169 from $184,059 to $294,028. The latest bump for the sage and prescient manager and CEO was a $59,009 raise from 2016's $235,019 to a 2017 salary of $294,028. (See graphic, click to enlarge.)
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Think about it, these three men at the top – Bruciak, Fernando Saenz and Leoanrdo Garcia – received raises of more than $100,000 each over three years equaling six and one half times the average annual income of Brownsville households, the very households that are being gouged by the higher electric rates for the non-existing Tenaska electric plant.
With more than $100 million in extra cash laying around the PUB coffers because of the increase in rates to pay for the plant, why isn't there a hue and cry to address that injustice?
But the fact that Losoya's GBIC contract was dated June 24 and the meeting to accept the negotiated contract June 26 was too tempting in some quarters to cast suspicion on the selection process and aspersions on the board members.
It was actually a pretty slick maneuver on whoever tried to pull the wool over Jerry's eyes, and it worked for a half a day. But the truth will out eventually over deception and this deception lasted for the better part of six hours.
Better luck next time.
You see, the board had voted unanimously June 21 – after coming out of executive session with the board attorneys dealing with the personnel matter of the CEO selection – to proceed with with the attorney's recommendations and make the offer to Losoya and have De Leon negotiate the specifics.
Board member John Cowen did not attend that meeting.
It was only after the contract had been negotiated and signed by both men that the board again met on June 26 and took a vote on whether to accept the contract under the terms negotiated between De Leon and Losoya. The GBIC contract with Losoya pays him $220,000 his inaugural year and a subsequent $250,000 salary the following years with an annual $30,000 performance bonus. He is currently making around $200,000 with Toyota. The bonus is due him if he meets the GBIC's benchmarks.
This is where members Golonsky and Cowen voted against the terms listed on the contract and the majority for. The vote would not have been against Losoya, but rather against the specific salary terms negotiated. Now, Nurith Galonsky is a member of the Brownsville Public Utility Board. Why hasn't she been as thrifty and fiscally conservative there?
Between 2013 to 2017, General Manager and CEO John Bruciak's salary increased by 109,169 from $184,059 to $294,028. The latest bump for the sage and prescient manager and CEO was a $59,009 raise from 2016's $235,019 to a 2017 salary of $294,028. (See graphic, click to enlarge.)
Think about it, these three men at the top – Bruciak, Fernando Saenz and Leoanrdo Garcia – received raises of more than $100,000 each over three years equaling six and one half times the average annual income of Brownsville households, the very households that are being gouged by the higher electric rates for the non-existing Tenaska electric plant.
With more than $100 million in extra cash laying around the PUB coffers because of the increase in rates to pay for the plant, why isn't there a hue and cry to address that injustice?
But the fact that Losoya's GBIC contract was dated June 24 and the meeting to accept the negotiated contract June 26 was too tempting in some quarters to cast suspicion on the selection process and aspersions on the board members.
It was actually a pretty slick maneuver on whoever tried to pull the wool over Jerry's eyes, and it worked for a half a day. But the truth will out eventually over deception and this deception lasted for the better part of six hours.
Better luck next time.