By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com
City of San Benito Human Resources Director Arturo Rodriguez confirmed that he’ll be addressing officers with the San Benito Police Department (SBPD) at approximately 10:30 p.m. tonight so as to formally introduce Lieutenant Martin Morales as the new Operations Chief (OC), a position created following the reassignment of now-former Chief George Gomez to captain and Rodriguez to assistant city manager.
Rodriguez, who in his new stead will oversee emergency services for the City of San Benito such as the police and fire departments, confirmed Morales’ promotion to the OC post Wednesday evening, as first reported by sbnewspaper.com.
Friday night’s briefing will aim to address the 3-11 p.m. shift and the incoming graveyard officers. Rodriguez and Morales will be doing the same at 7 a.m. Saturday morning for those who work the day shift.
News of Morales’ promotion to OC came after Gomez’s highly-publicized reassignment as well as Fire Chief Severo Ochoa’s move to Operations Chief. The former’s shift from police chief to first captain irked some members on the commission, namely Place 4 Commissioner Celeste Z. Sanchez who in the Sept. 25 edition of the News criticized City Manager Manuel Lara for the handling of Gomez’s reassignment, stating she’d “hold him accountable.”
Other commissioners, such as Antonio “Tony” Gonzales, were supportive of the structural reorganization that led to Gomez’s drop in rank.
Information as to how the salaries of Gomez, Ochoa and now Morales will be affected has yet to be released. Rodriguez’s promotion, however, came with an increase in his pay from $50,000 to $65,000.
Pick up a copy of the Oct. 2 edition of the San Benito News for a full report.
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