De La Rosa turned down for Edinburg City position

By J. NOEL ESPINOZA
Special to the NEWS

San Benito City Manager Manuel De La Rosa was one of three people interviewed for the City Manager position in Edinburg earlier this month according to media reports. The other two men interviewed were Interim Edinburg City Manager Richard Hinojosa and Ron Garza, current executive director for the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council (LRGVDC). Ultimately, Edinburg’s city council appointed Garza as City Manager.

“No, I already answered, I’m not speaking about anything at this time,” De La Rosa said when asked whether he was actively seeking another job. “I don’t answer any questions at this time.”

De La Rosa, who has been San Benito City Manager since 2016, received a $5,000 raise from his annual salary of $115,000 in December 2018 after City Commissioners evaluated him as “above satisfactory.”

Two commissioners, Rene Villafranco and Carol Lynn Sanchez, voted favorably of De La Rosa in his evaluation. In contrast, commissioners Rick Guerra and Antonio Gonzales voted unfavorably, opposed to the raise. Mayor Benjamin Gomez was the tie-breaker who voted in favor of De La Rosa’s raise.

Early last year, City Commissioners extended De La Rosa’s contract for three years and gave him another $5,000 raise, increasing his annual salary to $125,000.

Again, Villafranco and Sanchez voted in favor of the contract extension while Guerra voted against it. Neither mayor Gomez nor commissioner Gonzales, who was in De La Rosa’s contract extension took place after it was reported that he was seeking a similar position in Del Rio, Texas, which he did not receive.

According to a NEWS article published in March 2019, De La Rosa said he was job searching because he was in the last year of his contract. “I recognize that I’m in the last year of my employment contract unless the City Commission wishes to extend it. I know from experience that it can take from six months to a year to find a similar position in another city,” he said at the time.

The NEWS asked City Attorney Mark Sossi whether there was a breach of contract, but as of press time, he has not offered a response.

Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length. To read the full story, click here or make sure to grab a copy of the Feb. 28 – March. 5, 2020 issue of the NEWS.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2020/02/28/de-la-rosa-turned-down-for-edinburg-city-position/

12 comments

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    • John Sun on March 14, 2020 at 11:25 am
    • Reply

    Why does this arrogant of a city manager get evaluated twice a year ? Other cities large and small evaluate their city manager once a year. But I am guessing it must be in his employment agreement the one that was approved by our Mayor,Commissioners Sanchez and Villafranco. Our city manager has applied in other cities but in the end doesn’t seem to get hired. Have you Mayor or Commissioner’s asked yourselves why ? Well stop giving the city manager 5 thousand dollars of our tax money every 6 months.

      • Juan Luna on March 14, 2020 at 4:58 pm
      • Reply

      John Sun (aka Juan Luna), you crack me up. Have you ever worked in a management position?

    • UNITY on March 5, 2020 at 2:22 pm
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    Mr. Delarosa why have you not turned over the cost of the Internal Affairs Investigation into the shooting of Ricardo Trevino ? You forget that the money you used to pay those two investigating officers is taxpayers money and we are untitled to know how much it cost us. Was the payment to those two investigators even approved by the commission at a city meeting in open session ? The city meeting minutes don’t seem to reflect any authorized payment. Transparency is key to the city functioning properly.

    • Rude= Truthful on March 3, 2020 at 9:41 am
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    According to the Cameron County Tax Office our Mayor owes back taxes. It’s a combination of country ,city , school and two others. Some years back Mayor Joe Hernandez was ousted from his position as Mayor for owing taxes. Also a sitting commissioner resigned cause he to owed taxes and they both were in violation of the city charter. Now the question is what is the city secretary and the city commission going to do about it. Mayor you need to LEAD BY EXAMPLE and do the Honorable thing and step down.

      • What a joke! on March 3, 2020 at 7:59 pm
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      This guy has the same smug, snobby look that the SB cisd former board president had.

      Lol.

      La valio Madre.. la pinche politicas. Puro.. mamones nombre…es pueblo…porque no es cuidad…..El pueblo nunca va a crecer con todas Las pedejadas que hacen Los commissioners y El mayor. .. not to mention the school board.

      Let see how long it will take before DALE SHINE…CAR WASH.. closes the shop.
      And that plaza…what a joke!..

      Ponganze a limpiar…El pueblo ..componer Las calles .. con todos Los bujeros. Lol. . las casas viejas sin duenos.

      Lol my friggin spelling in Spanish sucks.. but if u smart u can understand what I mean.

    • Lovable Citizen on March 2, 2020 at 4:00 pm
    • Reply

    THIS CITY MANAGER GETS HIS JOLLIES FROM KICKING PEOPLE OUT OF HIS OFFICE AND THREATENING THEM WITH ARREST. OH WE HAVE A PERSON SEEKING RE-ELECTION AND ONE SEEKING ELECTION THAT OWE THE COUNTY AND CITY TAXES. A CLEAR VIOLATION OF CITY CHARTER AND THE REQUIREMENTS TO RUN FOR OFFICE. DO THE RIGHT THING AND RESIGN AND DROP OUT OF THE RACE.

    • Silver Fox on March 2, 2020 at 1:14 pm
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    Way to go Edinburg, you had enough sense NOT to take this butt kissing idiot! Hey SBN, where’ the story on that criminal David Hernandez and his POS ex-wife, carol “sorry excuse of an atorney” sanhcez? Did she scare you guys or what?

      • Only in San Benito.. on March 4, 2020 at 12:02 am
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      Probably… I tell you guys.. the VMS…has balls.

    • manuel garcia on March 2, 2020 at 11:54 am
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    AND YOU COMMISSIONERS GIVE HIM A CONTRACT. FOR WHAT?. THIS DUMB A## DOESN’T CARE ABOUT SAN BENITO. I HOPE THE NEW COMMISSIONERS WHO WILL WIN THIS WEEK . SEND HIM OFF THE NEVER NEVER LAND.

      • Stable Genius on March 2, 2020 at 2:24 pm
      • Reply

      FYI, there are no elections for commissioners this week.

      Elections for city commissioners are in May.

        • manuel garcia on March 6, 2020 at 2:07 pm
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        ME ENTIENDES COMO QUIREA WAY

          • Stable Genius on March 7, 2020 at 5:44 pm
          • Reply

          Si te entiendo y tambien to escucho.

          No es necesario gritar.

          Calmate, te va causar alta presion.

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