City Manager apologizes for comments

FRED SANDOVAL

By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com

During Tuesday evening’s San Benito City Commissioners’ meeting, San Benito City Manager Fred Sandoval apologized to the community and the commission for comments he made to a journalist in which he vehemently rejected the idea of residing in the Resaca City as mandated by the City Charter.

Audio and video of that interview with a reporter representing Dolcefino Consulting/Dolcefino Media were uploaded online as part of a video segment largely critical of the City’s leadership.

Dolcefino Consulting, a Houston-based investigative media firm, was hired by an unknown party(ies) to report on the City’s dealings with VARCO, a development company acquired by the San Benito Economic Development Corporation to construct the Resaca Village – a commercial plaza located off of Bus. 77 in San Benito.

The clip of Sandoval replying, “No! Never!” when asked if he planned to relocate to San Benito drew sharp criticism from the community. During Tuesday evening’s meeting, Sandoval said he now plans to reside at Fun-N-Sun, an age-qualified RV resort located in San Benito.

“I try to think of myself as professional. I try to think of myself as a role model not only to my children but also to my staff, and they (the reporter) put me in a position where I lost my temper, and I said I would never move to San Benito, and for that, I apologize, sincerely,” Sandoval said at the meeting. “It was never my intent to embarrass you all. I do love this city, and I’m humbled and happy to be part of it.”

Also addressed at the meeting was the petition to recall the commission spearheaded by local businessman and resident Jesus “Chuy” Aguilera, Jr.

Andrea Palacio, representing Dolcefino Media, demanded the release and inspection of the petition signatures handed into the City for the recall petition. “We have sworn affidavits signed by the recall workers that say that more than 750 signatures were turned in for the recall petition for the 2023 election to recall the Mayor, for (Commissioner) Deborah Morales and for (Commissioner) Tom Goodman,” she said.

“So we don’t understand why the City is saying that only 350 signatures were turned in? This is a massive discrepancy, and we find this unbelievable.”

She added that an Open Records request was issued to inspect the petition and that the City should allow access to the documents at the conclusion of the meeting.

In a statement by San Benito City officials late last Friday afternoon, City leaders said they are “moving forward” after finding the petition for a recall election of the San Benito City Commission “insufficient.”

“A petition to recall the elected San Benito City Commission was submitted and thoroughly reviewed in accordance with the City Charter,” reads the City’s press release. “After careful examination, the petition was found insufficient as it did not meet the necessary requirements outlined in the Charter.”

The statement continued, “With this matter resolved, the City Commission will continue its work as the community’s democratically elected body serving San Benito. The City Commission remains focused on its priorities: supporting local businesses, fostering new residential development and attracting new businesses to San Benito.”

“As your elected mayor and city commission, chosen by the majority to serve this community, we’ve remained committed to progress and staying focused on the positive,” stated San Benito Mayor Rick Guerra in the release. “We will continue to serve as we were elected to do, and we invite citizens to share their ideas on how we can improve San Benito together.”

The statement, however, did not address the methodology used to determine the City’s conclusion.

On Nov. 13, in a press release entitled, “The Citizens of San Benito have spoken,” the City offered clarification about the status of the petition, stating, “Contrary to some reports, the petition has not been denied. However, after a comprehensive evaluation, it was determined that the petition did not meet the minimum number of signatures required by the City Charter to advance to the next stage of the recall process.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, and answering Palacio’s query directly, Sandoval noted that the petition numbers must be met for each member of the commission being recalled and cannot be taken in totality.

On Wednesday, the City posted a press release on its Facebook page stating, “Recently, Jesus “Chuy” Aguilera Jr. attempted to initiate a recall of the mayor and commissioners. For a recall to proceed, petitions must be signed by 35% of voters in each position. After reviewing the petitions, there are not enough valid signatures—each position received fewer than 260. This is much lower than the more than 700 signatures required for a recall in each position. As a result, a recall cannot legally move forward.”

It went on to read, “This matter is now closed. It’s important to remember that our mayor and commissioners were elected through a fair and democratic process that reflects the will of the voters. The City Commission will continue its work as the community’s democratically elected body serving San Benito. The City Commission remains focused on its priorities: supporting local businesses, fostering new residential development, and attracting new businesses to San Benito.”

“As your elected mayor and city commission, chosen by the majority to serve this community, we’ve remained committed to progress and staying focused on the positive,” stated San Benito Mayor Rick Guerra in the release.