By SCARLET O’ROURKE
Special to the NEWS
With the onset of local elections comes a flurry of community concerns in which citizens seek resolve.
With a “Meet the Candidates” community forum to be hosted April 21 by the San Benito News for the San Benito CISD School Board candidates and the South Texas Adult Resource and Training (START) Center organizing a similar forum for the city elections, there will be many such citizens who’ll get their chance.
When asked what topics they want the candidates to discuss in both forums, San Benito residents responded. Suggestions for the city officials started with Rodney Rodriguez, who said, “I think that they need to take care of the (Heavin) trail. It started out real nice, but they need to fix the cracks and make it better because the community really seems to be using it a lot.”
The recent deficit in the city’s budget has another citizen who asked to not be named asking, “Are they prepared to battle the budget to have ideas for what they are going to do if the money runs out. That’s my question.”
“San Benito is a great place to live, I mean I’ve lived here practically all of my life,” Raul Gonzalez, Jr. said. “But things that do need to change are some of the roads, especially in the older sections of the street. Even though they have paved it, they really need to be fixed and not just put some tar or patches there and that’s it.”
“As for the schools, lately on the news I’ve been hearing a lot about bullying or drugs,” Gonzalez said. “(What’s need is) more security there, and address the issue of bullying. Show them (students) that it’s okay to stand up, but that’s all just my opinion.”
Also in regards to the school elections, Jose Gonzalez asked, “What is the future for our kids considering all these budget cuts?”
Melissa Peralez wants changes made in the school counseling. She said the kids do not know all the options open to them, such as the option of graduating in three years as opposed to four from high school.
The News “Meet the Candidates” forum for school board elections in San Benito will be held April 21 at 6:30 p.m. inside the board room of the San Benito CISD John F. Barron Administration Building.
The START Center’s city candidates voter forum is slated for Wednesday, April 27 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
To see this story in print, pick up a copy of the April 17 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.
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