CHINA BOUND: Officials prepare for 7,000-mile trek

City of San Benito officials recently met with Texas State Technical College (TSTC) representatives to discuss potential training opportunities in preparation for the International Conference on Urban Development and Innovation in Shenzhen, China. Shown (l-r) are City Engineer Victor Gutierrez, TSTC Associate Vice President of Corporate and Community Education Stella Garcia, Sandy Phan-Gillis, Houston Sister-City Chapter President; City Manager Manuel Lara and Rene Capistran, president of SpawGlass-South Texas Region and a member of the TSTC Regents Circle. (City of San Benito photo)

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com

City Manager Manuel Lara and Mayor Joe H. Hernandez are scheduled for quite the field trip Sunday.

The two City of San Benito officials will venture 21 hours by plane to China. An invitation was initially extended to Hernandez to attend a two-day economic development conference in Shenzhen, a major port city north of Hong Kong, from Feb. 23-24. Attendance of the conference, including trip expenses, will be paid for in full by Chinese delegates. Members of the San Benito City Commission were assured of as much before recently voting to allow the mayor and city manager to make the 7,000-mile trek.

Hernandez, though, said officials may stay as long as week. It was previously reported that an additional stay would come at a cost of $1,000, which included meals and transportation. The commission then approved $2,000 for the trip, covering both Lara and Hernandez, as part of a budgeted expense for international travel.

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