By Juan Montoya
During Tuesday's joint meeting of the City of Brownsville Commission and the Public Utilities Board District 2 Commissioner Jessica Tetreau said that she was just 27 when she attended the joint meetings when the Tenaska plant was approved and that she was chided by then-Mayor Tony Martinez for having no vision for the future.
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Tetreau recounted this as she made a pitch for the setting up of an advisory committee to determine what to do about procuring an ample supply of electricity for the city's future growth. What she didn't say was that she had cast a "yes" vote for the plant back in 2012.
On Tuesday, the commissioners were officially notified for the first time that the plant had been suspended indefinitely by the PUB administration since December 201.
At this point, Mayor Trey Mendez intervened and told her that as elected officials of the city mayor and the commissioners were the representatives of the people.
That brings up a rather interesting point.
Can the mayor and commissioners really represent the views of the average Brownsville resident ratepayer?
![Meter Jumper - ECN Electrical Forums]()
Has anyone of them ever had their utilities cut of for non-payment because of the higher rates? Have any of them had to run an extension cord from the home of a sympathetic neighbor until they could raise the funds to pay for bill, late charges and reconnection fees? Or worst yet, tap illegally (and dangerously) into a meter?
If not, how can they say they are representative of the people? Are any of them currently unemployed because of the COVID-19 impact on the local service economy or manufacture?
Ok. Let's say that they don't represent the low-income residents, but rather the middle class, upper middle class, and well-to-do in the city. That leaves out about half or more of the local residents, so we have a city commission who represent less than half of the population. And if you slice it down even further, we have a city commission that is representative of a minuscule segment of the people.
But wait, you say. Isn't it better government that we have the cream of the crop (even economically speaking, that is) rather than the unwashed (and uncouth) masses on the city commission?
Well, is it?
At yesterday's meeting to grill the honchos of the Brownsville Public Utility Board on the suspension of the Tenaska-PUB agreement to build the electric plant, two commissioner – Rose Gowen and Joel Munguia – did not participate via Zoom.
Gowen, who was there and cast a "yes" vote to initiate this debacle on December 2012, would have been able to call the PUB honchos on their assertions at the origins of the plant's construction. But, alas, she was a no-show and chose not to face the music and reexamine her vote. Util now she has been a steadfast supporter of the PUB administration. If her bike-and-hike trails money were endangered, who would she side with, Bruciak or the ratepayers?
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Terteau made like she was mad and upset, but stopped short of calling for the PUB honchos' heads. And Gowen actually called for a refund and rollback on PUB rates, but since it was just a discussion, no decision on the subject was made.
Commissioner Nurtih Galonsky, who was on the PUB board before individuals were limited to membership in only one board or commission, actually championed the PUB trio and blamed unforeseen conditions (like OPEC prices, etc.) for the wasted eight years of high rates.
But you really can't trust any one of them on any specific vote. Despite her complaints, Tetreau not only voted for the construction of the plant in 2012 but also voted for the rates increase.
On Tuesday, she, along with Mendez, commissioner Cowen, and Ben Neece, and Galonsky were told that rolling back the rates might mean that the annual PUB $10 to $14 million transfer to the city might be endangered or drastically reduced. (See graphic below.)
For years now, the city has depended on the transfers to avoid a budge deficit that might mean reduction in services or city personnel.
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Under that gun, will the city commission stop short of cleaning house at PUB as a majority of ratepayers would have them, or will their individual interests trump the wishes of the constituents they represent?
During Tuesday's joint meeting of the City of Brownsville Commission and the Public Utilities Board District 2 Commissioner Jessica Tetreau said that she was just 27 when she attended the joint meetings when the Tenaska plant was approved and that she was chided by then-Mayor Tony Martinez for having no vision for the future.
Tetreau recounted this as she made a pitch for the setting up of an advisory committee to determine what to do about procuring an ample supply of electricity for the city's future growth. What she didn't say was that she had cast a "yes" vote for the plant back in 2012.On Tuesday, the commissioners were officially notified for the first time that the plant had been suspended indefinitely by the PUB administration since December 201.
At this point, Mayor Trey Mendez intervened and told her that as elected officials of the city mayor and the commissioners were the representatives of the people.
That brings up a rather interesting point.
Can the mayor and commissioners really represent the views of the average Brownsville resident ratepayer?
Has anyone of them ever had their utilities cut of for non-payment because of the higher rates? Have any of them had to run an extension cord from the home of a sympathetic neighbor until they could raise the funds to pay for bill, late charges and reconnection fees? Or worst yet, tap illegally (and dangerously) into a meter?If not, how can they say they are representative of the people? Are any of them currently unemployed because of the COVID-19 impact on the local service economy or manufacture?
Ok. Let's say that they don't represent the low-income residents, but rather the middle class, upper middle class, and well-to-do in the city. That leaves out about half or more of the local residents, so we have a city commission who represent less than half of the population. And if you slice it down even further, we have a city commission that is representative of a minuscule segment of the people.
But wait, you say. Isn't it better government that we have the cream of the crop (even economically speaking, that is) rather than the unwashed (and uncouth) masses on the city commission?
Well, is it?
At yesterday's meeting to grill the honchos of the Brownsville Public Utility Board on the suspension of the Tenaska-PUB agreement to build the electric plant, two commissioner – Rose Gowen and Joel Munguia – did not participate via Zoom.
Gowen, who was there and cast a "yes" vote to initiate this debacle on December 2012, would have been able to call the PUB honchos on their assertions at the origins of the plant's construction. But, alas, she was a no-show and chose not to face the music and reexamine her vote. Util now she has been a steadfast supporter of the PUB administration. If her bike-and-hike trails money were endangered, who would she side with, Bruciak or the ratepayers?
Terteau made like she was mad and upset, but stopped short of calling for the PUB honchos' heads. And Gowen actually called for a refund and rollback on PUB rates, but since it was just a discussion, no decision on the subject was made.
Commissioner Nurtih Galonsky, who was on the PUB board before individuals were limited to membership in only one board or commission, actually championed the PUB trio and blamed unforeseen conditions (like OPEC prices, etc.) for the wasted eight years of high rates.
But you really can't trust any one of them on any specific vote. Despite her complaints, Tetreau not only voted for the construction of the plant in 2012 but also voted for the rates increase.
On Tuesday, she, along with Mendez, commissioner Cowen, and Ben Neece, and Galonsky were told that rolling back the rates might mean that the annual PUB $10 to $14 million transfer to the city might be endangered or drastically reduced. (See graphic below.)
For years now, the city has depended on the transfers to avoid a budge deficit that might mean reduction in services or city personnel.
