Joe Rodriguez is a San Benito resident, a local citizen watchdog, and a former candidate for the San Benito City Commission.
To Commissioners Daniel Cortez, Rick Perez, and Victor Manuel Gonzales,
Gentlemen, I am writing as a concerned resident and taxpayer of San Benito to express my deep disappointment with the recent direction of our city governance, specifically the vote to formally censure Mayor Dr. Pedro “Pete” Galvan.
When the citizens of San Benito went to the polls, they voted for clear leadership and a commitment to moving our city forward.
A mayor (and City Commission) is elected to 1) provide oversight and accountability, 2) protect public assets, and 3) ensure that taxpayer-generated revenue is used effectively and transparently.
Questioning the operations, contracts, and legal expenses of the San Benito Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is not a threat to our community—it is the financial accountability the public expects and deserves.
By using formal censure to publicly reprimand the mayor, the commission majority has opted for political theater over collaborative governance.
Recording disapproval in the city minutes in response to an elected official’s demand for oversight appears less like a pursuit of “proper business conduct” and more like an organized effort to push back against legitimate inquiry.
Furthermore, EDC board moves, such as amending the EDC Bylaws to remove the ex officio board position to limit the mayor’s involvement with the EDC board or pushing forward with shifting appointments, only deepen the perception that the majority commission is intent on stripping away the authority of the office that voters elected him to hold.
Our city faces critical infrastructure needs, and the conversation should remain focused on practical solutions—such as the mayor’s proposal to let voters decide whether a portion of EDC sales tax dollars should be reallocated directly to maintain and repair San Benito’s streets.
I urge the City Commission majority to end infighting and halt further efforts to undermine the mayor’s office. The EDC and the City Commission exist to serve the public interest, not to advance political power struggles.
The proper course is to pivot away from division, respect the administrative boundaries set by our city charter, and work constructively with the mayor to deliver the oversight, accountability, transparency, road improvements, and economic growth that San Benito residents have been promised.
I think I speak for all concerned taxpayers and residents of San Benito, Tejas!