By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com
Two City of San Benito positions were eliminated effective Friday, Aug. 19 in what officials called a structural reorganization, thus leading to the departure of Public Works Director Martin Peña and Planning and Zoning Director Mayra Benedetti.
City of San Benito Human Resource Director Arturo Rodriguez confirmed the news on Tuesday, this while in the midst of a budget crunch that has already seen an across-the-board longevity pay cut – a move that has irked local firefighters, some of whom will be the most affected – and preliminary discussions to staff two assistant city managers. If the latter scenario – currently a preliminary recommendation – is approved by the commission, Rodriguez could then be assigned to oversee emergency departments and civil service while Assistant City Manager Hector Jalomo would head all things public works.
Though preliminary, much of what is currently in theory may become departmental structure already as Rodriguez said both Benedetti’s and Peña’s former responsibilities in planning and zoning as well as public works, respectively, have been assigned to Jalomo.
“That falls under his realm of responsibility,” Rodriguez said of Jalomo. “The assistant city manager in charge of public works means everything having to do with public works.”
Meanwhile, Rodriguez said that no further posts will be up for elimination. “We don’t expect anymore (positions eliminated),” Rodriguez said. “There are reassignments and realignments being discussed, positions and consolidations being discussed, but all discussions are not about people but the positions and needs of the city.”
Much of the discussions Rodriguez referred to were scheduled to take place Tuesday evening, Aug. 23, at a regular city commission meeting. Visit www.sbnewspaper.com for updates on what occurred.
In the meantime, on Benedetti and Peña, Rodriguez said, “Reorganization no longer has their positions as they are, and it had nothing to do with their performance. We just let go of two at-will positions. The city manager made a stand, looked at it, and those positions are no longer here.”
To see this story in print, pick up a copy of the Aug. 24 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.
1 comments
Looks like Lara has to new stool pigeons to watch his Department Heads! Looks like Lara wants to be mini Obama! All he has to do is keep appointing czars in charge of Dept heads, you see they will also amswer to only him so he has taken a freely run city and has giving it socialism “lite”! it’s only a matter of time before the commissioners, the smart ones I hope, send this litle napoleon to his own litlle island in exile, where he can do no more damage.