By Juan Montoya
An Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between Cameron County and the City of Santa Rosa that cost $65,676 and which the city agreed to pay the county in two payments by by 2017 has still not been paid, a public information request by a former Good Government League director has revealed.
The county had agreed to pay $25,707 for its share of the road reconstruction and pavement improvements" on N. Parker Road from the railroad to San Roman Avenue. It paid another $135,000 for the entire length of the road not stipulated for in the agreement.
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In response, the county's civil division has said it has sent the city a bill "just recently," when an inquiry was made today. At the time the agreement was approved by the county commission, Pct. 4 commissioner Gus Ruiz was the city's attorney and abstained from the vote.
In a non-dated ICA, Santa Rosa acknowledged that it was willing to foot the bill and to pay the county in two payments by 2017. The county accepted the terms citing it "understands the financial conditions of the city and will allow for two payments to be made by the city to the county in 2017."
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The Feb. 12, 2018 information request by Gary Thornburg on whether Santa Rosa had paid its share of the ICA two years after the work had been performed generated a reply Feb. 20 by County Auditor Martha Galarza that "The County Auditor's Office has reviewed it files and has determined that there are no responsive documents to your request."
A news story at the time stated that: "Ruiz said the city agreed to pay half of the costs for the road project on the south side of Parker Road totaling $65,676 and the county matched the other half of the cost for the road repairs to that section.
"Cameron County also paid for the entire construction of the road on Parker Road’s north side at a cost of $135,000."
At the time the road construction was completed, Ruiz, in hard hat, shook hands with Santa Rosa Mayor (his former boss) on the city-county agreement.
"Mayor Andres Contreras said the city had been waiting for this to be completed," the Valley Morning Star reported at the time.
“We have needed this for the past two years,” Contreras said.
He said he was pleased the community was very patient with the city to complete the project.
“This is a nice Christmas gift for the city of Santa Rosa,” Contreras said. “Commissioner Ruiz wanted to finish before Christmas and he got it done.”
Apparently, the folks over there took his word at face value that it was a "gift."
But two years alter it is that $65,676 that the City of Santa Rosa "neglected" has to pay since 2017 and is now being reminded by the county's legal division of its obligations. County commissioner Ruiz, who temporarily held that city attorney's position, apparently hasn't reminded his boss of the old debt.
Will it take another two years and legal reminders to get the up-county dead beats to fork over their fair share of the cash?
An Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between Cameron County and the City of Santa Rosa that cost $65,676 and which the city agreed to pay the county in two payments by by 2017 has still not been paid, a public information request by a former Good Government League director has revealed.
The county had agreed to pay $25,707 for its share of the road reconstruction and pavement improvements" on N. Parker Road from the railroad to San Roman Avenue. It paid another $135,000 for the entire length of the road not stipulated for in the agreement.
In response, the county's civil division has said it has sent the city a bill "just recently," when an inquiry was made today. At the time the agreement was approved by the county commission, Pct. 4 commissioner Gus Ruiz was the city's attorney and abstained from the vote.
In a non-dated ICA, Santa Rosa acknowledged that it was willing to foot the bill and to pay the county in two payments by 2017. The county accepted the terms citing it "understands the financial conditions of the city and will allow for two payments to be made by the city to the county in 2017."
The Feb. 12, 2018 information request by Gary Thornburg on whether Santa Rosa had paid its share of the ICA two years after the work had been performed generated a reply Feb. 20 by County Auditor Martha Galarza that "The County Auditor's Office has reviewed it files and has determined that there are no responsive documents to your request."A news story at the time stated that: "Ruiz said the city agreed to pay half of the costs for the road project on the south side of Parker Road totaling $65,676 and the county matched the other half of the cost for the road repairs to that section.
"Cameron County also paid for the entire construction of the road on Parker Road’s north side at a cost of $135,000."
At the time the road construction was completed, Ruiz, in hard hat, shook hands with Santa Rosa Mayor (his former boss) on the city-county agreement.
"Mayor Andres Contreras said the city had been waiting for this to be completed," the Valley Morning Star reported at the time.
“We have needed this for the past two years,” Contreras said.
He said he was pleased the community was very patient with the city to complete the project.
“This is a nice Christmas gift for the city of Santa Rosa,” Contreras said. “Commissioner Ruiz wanted to finish before Christmas and he got it done.”
Apparently, the folks over there took his word at face value that it was a "gift."
But two years alter it is that $65,676 that the City of Santa Rosa "neglected" has to pay since 2017 and is now being reminded by the county's legal division of its obligations. County commissioner Ruiz, who temporarily held that city attorney's position, apparently hasn't reminded his boss of the old debt.
Will it take another two years and legal reminders to get the up-county dead beats to fork over their fair share of the cash?