San Benito: Search for city manager begins

San Benito News
By TONY VINDELL, Special to the NEWS
June 23, 2023

A search for a new manager for the City of San Benito has begun.

The city commission voted to hire a recruiter for the search, following the ousting of former administrator Manuel De La Rosa whom the commission terminated at its previous meeting held on June 6, 2023.

The commission voted Gavino Sotelo as interim city manager and Javier Villalobos as interim city attorney during Tuesday’s June 20 meeting.

Soleto, who’ll start immediately, will work on a contract basis while the search for a permanent city administration is underway.

The terms of his salary are under negotiations.

Sotelo ran against former Commissioner Rene Villafranco in 2011 worked as city manager in Harlingen, and as first assistant city manager in Dallas, Lubbock, Kingsville and Odessa.

In another action announced after another lengthy closed-door session, the commissioners voted to hire Villalobos on a retainer based on $75,000 a year.

Villalobos is the mayor of McAllen, a city located a little more than 40 miles from San Benito.
He said earlier in the meeting he has more than 28 years of experience as lawyer and he would prefer to be paid on a monthly basis rather than hourly.

Villalobos will be making $6,250 a month based on the $75,000 amount set.

The city manager and city attorney replacements took place after two new commissioners were elected this past May. They are John Goodman and Debora Morales.

Under an agreement between the commission and De la Rosa, he was to remain on the job for at least 30 days.