Who will become the next millionaire?
Which legal firm will land the plum of plums, the local legal counsel gig for the Brownsville Public Utility Board?
In fact, it is such a rich lode of moolah, that in the last 10 years, the PUB has doled out nearly $25 million in legal fees to 22 firms, including $16.2 million to just one, San Antonio-based Davidson Troilo Ream and Garza, PC. But Davidson is not in the running for local legal counsel. It remains above the local fray and is letting the local guys fight over the leftover legal services.
(The only time we hear from Davidson is when it files lengthy objections to making the Memorandum Of Understanding between private energy provider Tenaska and the city of Brownsville. So far, they've earned their keep and the Texas Attorney General has agreed that PUB rate payers should be kept in the dark.)
For the last 10 years, this firm has pocketed more than $1 million annually, the lowest being in 1,070,757 in 2009 and peaking in 2014 when it was paid $2.958,091.
And other, like John O'Donnel getting paid a retainer (?)of about $120,000 a year for the last 10 years and Joe Garcia earning around $110,000 a year for the last six years.
For the last 10 years, this firm has pocketed more than $1 million annually, the lowest being in 1,070,757 in 2009 and peaking in 2014 when it was paid $2.958,091.
And other, like John O'Donnel getting paid a retainer (?)of about $120,000 a year for the last 10 years and Joe Garcia earning around $110,000 a year for the last six years.
So far, nine law firms that include one associated with Cameron County Judge (and former PUB counsel (Trevino and Bodden), one associated with former City of Brownsville Attorney Mark Sossi (of Sossi and Troiani), and one associated with former Texas State Rep. Rene Oliveira (Roerig, Oliveira, and Fisher LLC). Also in the running is Colvin, Saenz, Rodriguez and Kennamer, which includes a former PUB counsel Tony Rodriguez.
The selection of the local counsel had been tabled endlessly while the makeup of the PUB board has changed. When former mayor Tony Martinez was there, he and his majority tabled the item for months expecting to come back on board after the elections. Unfortunately (for him, and not for us), he lost the election and now it will fall on the new board composed of his law office secretary (Sandra Saenz) and his world-hopping fellow traveler Sandra Langley.
Will his close association with Colvin, Chaney, Saenz and Rodriguez influence the outcome of the RFP award?
The selection of the local counsel had been tabled endlessly while the makeup of the PUB board has changed. When former mayor Tony Martinez was there, he and his majority tabled the item for months expecting to come back on board after the elections. Unfortunately (for him, and not for us), he lost the election and now it will fall on the new board composed of his law office secretary (Sandra Saenz) and his world-hopping fellow traveler Sandra Langley.
Will his close association with Colvin, Chaney, Saenz and Rodriguez influence the outcome of the RFP award?
Will the new mayor Trey Mendez kowtow to Martinez's acolytes and hand the plum to Martinez allies Colvin, Saenz, Rodriguez, and Kennamer? Or will the plum be handed off to politically-connected firm like Oliveira's or Trevino's?
Much is at stake here. The reason that the PUB let out RFPs for a local legal counsel was because Davidson started the clock running as soon as they got in their car and started toward Brownsville. As a result, they have racked up $16,283,612 in legal fees over the last 10 years.
The others, in order of total amounts are:
Trevino and Bodden: $1,995,600 (six-year total)
Smith Murdaugh Little and Bonham: $1,407,984 (fouor years)
John O'Donnel: $1,202,335
Andrus Kurth, LLP: 1,015,332
Is it any wonder that so many law firms are after the prize? The long-suffering PUB rate payers – who have been paying artificially-high utility rates to build the $500 million Tenaska Plant to Nowhere championed by Martinez and his allies on the city commission – will again foot the bill and make the principals of one of those law firms millionaires. (Click on graphic to enlarge.)
