By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com
The San Benito City Commission will review and discuss the potential resignation of current San Benito City Manager Fred Sandoval at a special City Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, June 9.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the San Benito Municipal Building, Cesar Gonzalez Meeting Hall, located at 401 North Sam Houston Boulevard.
According to the meeting agenda and in accordance with Executive Session Authority: Tex. Gov’t Code §551.074 – Personnel Matters, the Commission is meeting behind closed doors to discuss and, if appropriate, take action on the acceptance of the City Manager’s letter of resignation submitted by Sandoval.
City Commissioners are also discussing the appointment of an Interim City Manager and the terms and conditions of the position.
According to the meeting agenda, Commissioners are also discussing the process, timeline, and recruitment procedures for selecting a permanent City Manager to potentially replace Sandoval.
On May 7, 2024, San Benito City Commissioners met in closed session with Sandoval to discuss his one-year contract, which included a six-month probationary period.
The Commission ultimately decided to grant Sandoval a new three-year contract with a $150,000 salary, a $15,000 increase from his previous compensation plan.
Replacing the previous City Manager, Manuel De La Rosa, in October 2023, Sandoval took the helm of the City’s operations and, a mere four months later, also assumed the role of economic development director for the San Benito Economic Development Corporation (EDC), replacing then-director Ramiro Aleman, who left the post in December 2023, shortly after Sandoval’s hiring.
With prior experience as both City Manager and EDC Executive Director for the City of Pharr, he was the ideal candidate for the City of San Benito’s economic development plans, according to then-Mayor Ricardo “Rick” Guerra of San Benito.
Former San Benito City Commissioner Pete A. Galvan, who is the current Mayor following the City’s General Election in May, provided insight into the contract and, in response to articles he read about the agreement between Sandoval and the City, declared, “It’s not a contract renewal – it’s a new contract.”
Guerra also had much to say about the salary, affirming that Sandoval is “underpaid by the City” and that typical pay, compared with other cities, is “in the $180,000-$200,000 range.”
In that deal, Sandoval was aiming to receive a total of $225,000 through his combined package, with $150,000 as City Manager and $75,000 as EDC executive director.
This compares with his predecessors: former City Manager De La Rosa, who received $175,000, and former EDC executive director Ramiro Aleman, who received $103,000 before resigning.
Guerra lost his bid for reelection to Galvan in May, after navigating several controversies since Sandoval’s hiring, including a legal quagmire over the Resaca Village commercial development along Business 77 and a highly controversial $1M concert series last year that reportedly led to revenue losses.
Guerra and Sandoval’s tenure brought economic growth to Resaca City, marked by commercial and residential development and improved infrastructure.
News of Sandoval’s potential departure has drawn mixed reactions.
Former San Benito Commissioner and EDC Board Member Deborah Morales enthusiastically called it “Great news! Brighter days for San Benito,” in response to the agenda item posted on Facebook.
Meanwhile, citizen advocate Joe Bocanegra asked, “What is wrong with the one (City Manager) they have now?” in reference to the search for a new City Manager.
Also on the agenda is a discussion and possible action regarding the City’s legal services, including the engagement, retention, scope of representation, and terms of the legal services provided to the City of San Benito.
As of Thursday morning’s newspaper deadline, Sandoval and Galvan had not responded to requests for comment.
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