San Benito searching for interim city manager; Sotelo rejects contract

My RVG.com
By Fernando Del Valle
July 12, 2023

SAN BENITO — After about three weeks on the job, interim City Manager Gavino Sotelo suddenly resigned as the city’s new commission searches for a replacement amid its hunt to fill the city manager’s position.

On July 14, city commissioners are holding a special emergency meeting aimed at appointing an interim city manager to replace Sotelo.

Meanwhile, commissioners picked City Secretary Ruth McGiniss to serve as interim city manager until they meet to discuss the appointment.

“As far as who’s taking over, we haven’t decided,” Commissioner Pete Galvan said in an interview. “Ruth has to continue maintaining order until we get things going Friday.”

Now, the city’s department heads are helping McGiniss, who’s been serving as city secretary for more than five years, run daily operations, he said.

“I’m confident in the directors’ ability to keep the city moving forward,” he said.

Sudden resignation

Earlier this week, Sotelo suddenly resigned after he and commissioners couldn’t reach an agreement on a new contract.

“He didn’t agree with the contract,” Mayor Rick Guerra in an interview. “We talked and he said ‘no.’ He didn’t like the terms of the contract. We weren’t waiting for this. This was not what we were looking for.”

Sotelo’s move stunned commissioners who were counting on him to run the city’s daily operations until they fill the city manager’s job, more than a month after buying out former City Manager Manuel De La Rosa’s contract for about $200,000.

“This is all unfolding very quickly,” Commissioner Tom Goodman said in an interview, adding Sotelo was working to draft the city’s general fund budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

“We’ve found ourselves in a situation, and we have to move quickly,” he said. “It’s a challenge. We have a budget that needs to be done. It’s a lot of work for the staff. Mr. Sotelo was very good with budget issues, so I think we’re in good shape there. We want to make sure we continue operations in the meantime.”

Sotelo rebuffs contract

During a July 11 meeting, Sotelo met with commissioners in closed session after officials drafted a new contract.

Based on the meeting’s agenda, commissioners were set to discuss Sotelo’s “duties.”

Under the new contract, commissioners wanted him to work as a “consultant,” said Sotelo, who previously served as the Laguna Madre Water District’s general manager after a career during which he served in city manager positions.

“They wanted to make me a consultant, so I’d have to run everything through them,” he said in an interview, referring to running the city’s daily operations. “They changed it on me. My original agreement with the mayor would be interim with all the authority of that position.”

Launching city manager search

During the meeting, commissioners voted 3-1 to request qualifications as part of a city manager search which the Texas Municipal League will help conduct.

Goodman, who was calling for the hiring of a search firm, cast the dissenting vote.

“If we don’t find anyone, we’ll hire a firm,” Guerra said.

Interim city manager job

During their July 14 meeting, commissioners are planning to review applications for the interim city manager’s job while they consider making an appointment.

“There are people that have turned in some applications,” Guerra said. “We’ll look over the applications. I haven’t seen them. We need to bring in somebody for now.”

Background

During a June 20 meeting, commissioners hired Sotelo for $10,000 to serve as interim city manager until they fill the city manager’s job.

Upon Sotelo’s hiring, De La Rosa, who had offered to stay on the job for up to 60 days, left office after commissioners bought out his contract, which ran through July 2024, for about $200,000.