RENAMING OF FRONTON STREET LITMUS TEST FOR COMMISSION

1. Public Hearing and ACTION on Resolution Number 2019-092 to rename McNair Family Drive (from Palm Boulevard to Sam Perl Boulevard) to East Fronton Street. (City Manager’s Office) 

By Juan Montoya

Will they or won't they?

So far, at least two City of Brownsville commissioners (District 1 Nurith Galonsky and District 4 Ben Neece) have committed themselves to support the renaming of East Fronton Street to its original name after a majority earlier this year voted to support its renaming to McNair Family Drive.

The renaming set off a flurry of activity in the neighborhood to return it to its original name under new rules introduced by new city manager Noel Bernal where the signatures of 75 percent of the residents are required to rename a street. Before that, all it took was a majority vote of the city commission.

With Neece and Galonsky making up two of the five of the full city commission supporting the residents, it will be highly enlightening to see how the rest - District 2 Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa, District 3 Joel Munguia, At-Large A John Gowen, At-Large B Rose Gowen, and, if a tie breaker is needed, Mayor Trey Mendez - will vote.

Will they support the residents and rename their historical street back to its former name, or will they cow under the pressure by the prominent Brownsville family and their acolytes?

Cowen has said in the past that he would vote on "fact-based" arguments. Is the fact that a majority wants to keep the original name factual enough?

Or will the old family (and socioeconomic) ties bind his vote to the McNairs? Or how about Gowen, who also claims historical exemption to her home and pays no city taxes on it just as the McNairs do with their "historical" warehouses on East Fronton?

Will her allegiance to the old, landed, families triumph over the will of the people?

Mungia, for that matter, is also on the line to see which way he goes on the vote. This could be the litmus test on whether this city commission adheres to the popular will or sides with the city's elite class.

We will see on Tuesday.