Juan C. Gutierrez <juan.gutierrez@cob.us>
9:53 AM (24 minutes ago)
to me, public
9:53 AM (24 minutes ago)
to me, public
Public Information 2017-032
Mr. Montoya,
Mr. Montoya,
There is no current contract for City Attorney Mark E. Sossi, as a city employee his employee benefits are available online: http://www.cob.us/638/Employee-Health-Benefits
Juan Carlos (Johnny) Gutierrez
Records Management Specialist
By Juan Montoya
It's confirmed.
Juan Carlos (Johnny) Gutierrez
Records Management Specialist
By Juan Montoya
It's confirmed.
Previously hired as a contract city attorney, Mark E. Sossi is now a full-time city employee limited to work on legal matters for the city commission.
The action was taken after an executive session January 17 after commissioner Ricardo Longoria made the motion to make him a full-time employee and seconded by John Villarreal and approved unanimously by the commission. Mayor Tony Martinez did not attend the meeting.
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At once, some of our seven readers started asking questions.
Can the city commission create a slot just like that, without advertising the position, taking applications from other interested parties, and then making the selection without even having interviewed anyone?
And does the fact that he is to work exclusively for the city commission exclude him from working on the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation (GBIC), an entity separate from the city?
Sossi was paid $120,000 a year by the city and another $60,000 by the GBIC before he became a city employee. We have no record of his salary with outside cases he may have taken. although we know of one divorce case where he is representing a woman.
Sossi was said to be livid after some on the city commission had expressed doubts about taking the action he said was necessary to include a six-month old child he fathered with a Mexican woman who worked as a stripper at a local men's club.
For the better part of two years, contract city attorney Mark E. Sossi has had a common-law relationship with the dancer he met at a strip club in Brownsville.
That relationship blossomed and she went to live with him at his home as did two of her children from a prior relationship.
Then, on July 4, 2016 – Independence Day – the couple had a love child.
Now, six months later, after things had soured Sossi petitioned a court to kick her out of his house, grant him custody of the child, a boy, and to make her pay him child support. He did not deny paternity of the child.
In response, the woman, Yessica Belen Larios, charges that she should be granted custody and charges that Sossi has had a long history "or pattern" of family violence as defined by the Texas Family Code for at least two years before he filed the lawsuit. She wants the court to order a possession order that protects the welfare of the child and any other person who has been victim of family violence, "including but not limited to to ordering that visiting be continuously supervised," and ordering that Sossi refrain from the consumption of alcohol or controlled substances within the 12 hours before visitation.
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Further, she also wants the court to order Sossi to attend and complete a battering intervention and prevention program or a treatment program if one is unavailable.
In addition, she charges that Sossi has committed offenses listed under the Section 481.01, of the Texas Health and Safety Code, specifically the abuse of controlled substances identified as cocaine in the woman's affidavit attached to her response. She asks that the court order that Sossi submit hair follicles to determine his abuse of that controlled substance.
As if that wasn't enough, the Internal Revenue Service has filed at least six federal tax liens "on all property and rights to property belonging to (Sossi) in the amount of these taxes and additional penalties, interest, and costs that may accrue."
The total of the tax liens for unpaid taxes is a whopping $565,593.70. (See graphic. Click to enlarge.)
Sossi started to work as a contract attorney for the city in July 2009. The years covered by the tax liens stretch back to December 2009, December 2010, December 2012, December 2013, December 2014, and December 2015.
In the first years, he listed his address as 144 Country Club Road, Apt. 7, in Brownsville. In the last two, his address is listed as P.O. Box 1669. in Brownsville. In his lawsuit against the woman, he lists his home address as 3852 Chablis Drive, in Brownsville.
The woman also claims that Sossi has not had a driver's license since January 6, 1989 although he drives to and from work at the City of Brownsville.
Now that Sossi is a full-time employee with the city, is his paycheck subject to garnishment? Like we said at the top, the custody battle with his former lover may be the least of his problems.
The action was taken after an executive session January 17 after commissioner Ricardo Longoria made the motion to make him a full-time employee and seconded by John Villarreal and approved unanimously by the commission. Mayor Tony Martinez did not attend the meeting.
At once, some of our seven readers started asking questions.
Can the city commission create a slot just like that, without advertising the position, taking applications from other interested parties, and then making the selection without even having interviewed anyone?
And does the fact that he is to work exclusively for the city commission exclude him from working on the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation (GBIC), an entity separate from the city?
Sossi was paid $120,000 a year by the city and another $60,000 by the GBIC before he became a city employee. We have no record of his salary with outside cases he may have taken. although we know of one divorce case where he is representing a woman.
Sossi was said to be livid after some on the city commission had expressed doubts about taking the action he said was necessary to include a six-month old child he fathered with a Mexican woman who worked as a stripper at a local men's club.
For the better part of two years, contract city attorney Mark E. Sossi has had a common-law relationship with the dancer he met at a strip club in Brownsville.
That relationship blossomed and she went to live with him at his home as did two of her children from a prior relationship.
Then, on July 4, 2016 – Independence Day – the couple had a love child.
Now, six months later, after things had soured Sossi petitioned a court to kick her out of his house, grant him custody of the child, a boy, and to make her pay him child support. He did not deny paternity of the child.
In response, the woman, Yessica Belen Larios, charges that she should be granted custody and charges that Sossi has had a long history "or pattern" of family violence as defined by the Texas Family Code for at least two years before he filed the lawsuit. She wants the court to order a possession order that protects the welfare of the child and any other person who has been victim of family violence, "including but not limited to to ordering that visiting be continuously supervised," and ordering that Sossi refrain from the consumption of alcohol or controlled substances within the 12 hours before visitation.
Further, she also wants the court to order Sossi to attend and complete a battering intervention and prevention program or a treatment program if one is unavailable.In addition, she charges that Sossi has committed offenses listed under the Section 481.01, of the Texas Health and Safety Code, specifically the abuse of controlled substances identified as cocaine in the woman's affidavit attached to her response. She asks that the court order that Sossi submit hair follicles to determine his abuse of that controlled substance.
As if that wasn't enough, the Internal Revenue Service has filed at least six federal tax liens "on all property and rights to property belonging to (Sossi) in the amount of these taxes and additional penalties, interest, and costs that may accrue."
The total of the tax liens for unpaid taxes is a whopping $565,593.70. (See graphic. Click to enlarge.)
Sossi started to work as a contract attorney for the city in July 2009. The years covered by the tax liens stretch back to December 2009, December 2010, December 2012, December 2013, December 2014, and December 2015.
In the first years, he listed his address as 144 Country Club Road, Apt. 7, in Brownsville. In the last two, his address is listed as P.O. Box 1669. in Brownsville. In his lawsuit against the woman, he lists his home address as 3852 Chablis Drive, in Brownsville.
The woman also claims that Sossi has not had a driver's license since January 6, 1989 although he drives to and from work at the City of Brownsville.
Now that Sossi is a full-time employee with the city, is his paycheck subject to garnishment? Like we said at the top, the custody battle with his former lover may be the least of his problems.