By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com
San Benito Mayor Pedro “Pete” Galvan is accusing the San Benito Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of a lack of transparency after saying it denied him access to applications for the entity’s open executive director position.
“I’m requesting that we withhold sales tax dollars from them because they have clearly forgotten their mission – to bring in business,” the Mayor told the NEWS in a text message.
In an email sent Tuesday afternoon to the EDC board of directors, EDC legal counsel, San Benito City Commissioners, certain city staff, and select members of the media, among others, the Mayor asks, “To be clear, is my request being denied? As an ex officio board member, I’m allowed to participate in discussions of agenda items. Although I can’t vote, it would be important for the EDC board and the current Mayor to have transparent discussions about the future relationship between the EDC and the City.”
According to Galvan, he filed an open records request on Sept. 8, 2026, for the applications. The entity has received 18 applications. As Galvan mentioned, he is a non-voting board member as Mayor.
“How can I discuss the applicants with the board if you are hiding the applications?” Galvan alleges in the email. “Based on my conversation with (EDC) Madam President (Anna) Llanes, my understanding is that all board members have received the applications and that she has formed an ad hoc committee to review them and submit choices to the EDC board.”
Galvan further asks, “Why would you release all applications to the EDC board yet exclude the Mayor?”
According to the email, Galvan formally asked for the number of applicants for the EDC Director position who submitted by the deadline, the number of applications accepted after the deadline, the role of the ad hoc committee that is reviewing board applications, the identities of the individuals on the ad hoc committee who will be reviewing board applications, and a request to review the EDC Director applications, with the exception of any information required by Texas law to be confidential and redacted or removed.
EDC Board President Llanes deferred questions to the EDC attorney, Michael Pruneda of the Pruneda Law Firm, PLLC, of Pharr, who replied via email that a request for an opinion on releasing the applications has been submitted to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
“As legal counsel for the San Benito EDC, my role is to ensure that local, state, and federal laws are complied with at all times. In the matter of the request submitted by Pedro Galvan seeking records submitted in support of job applications, applicable privacy rights must be reviewed. No job applicant consented to or authorized the disclosure of their information,” according to Pruneda’s email.
“Galvan is currently an ex officio member of the SBEDC by virtue of his city title. Galvan has neither voting rights nor decision-making authority. Even as a member of the City Commission, the City Charter directs that the ‘Mayor shall have no administrative duties’ (see Sec. 3.03, San Benito City Charter),” the email adds.
Pruneda goes on to state, “It is not known what Galvan intends to do with the personnel information if he is granted access. However, Board President Anna Llanes, and no other member of the board of directors, ever arbitrarily denied Galvan access to records. The request Galvan made for personnel information was referred to the Office of the Attorney General of Texas for a determination as to whether specific exceptions apply to the disclosure of personnel-related information.”
“The public should not be misled. The San Benito Economic Development Corporation is fully transparent and in compliance with the law. I am enclosing the information referred to the Attorney General’s office to clear the record and promote further transparency. The referral was also provided to Galvan at the time it was referred to the state,” Pruneda concludes.
A quick online search of Texas Open Records laws shows that applications for such positions are open to the public, and that a government entity has the right and obligation to redact sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers and addresses.
According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts’ website, “Economic Development Corporation (EDC) director applications are subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552).”
The Texas Municipal League’s website states, “Because Type A and Type B EDCs are funded by local public sales tax and are governed by municipal oversight, they are considered governmental bodies under open government law.”
When asked whether he was being politically targeted and whether he thought certain members of the EDC board, staff, or the City were behind it, Galvan said, “I have no idea. But the bad apples need to go.”