Weslaco bypasses city manager application

By TONY VINDELL
Special to the NEWS

The City of Weslaco has hired an interim city manager, bypassing the sole application submitted by San Benito City Manager Manuel De La Rosa.

De La Rosa was the sole applicant after Dan Serna, a former city manager with the city of Harlingen, withdrew his name. Both of them were part of a list of 13 hopefuls.

According to the City of Weslaco, the council appointed Martin Garza as interim city manager during Monday’s March 28 meeting.

“I want to welcome Martin to the great city of Weslaco. I feel, we, as a commission, made an exceptional choice to appoint him as interim city manager,” Mayor David Juarez said. “Martin is knowledgeable, has the experience, we need and has a good approachable character that our citizens will greatly appreciate.”

Garza will report to work on April 4, taking the place of former city manager Mike Perez.
De La Rosa has been San Benito City manager since 2015.

His contract was renewed in 2019 for a three-year period.