Reprint from the Progress Times - May 11, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Heavy Early Voting Recorded For City Elections
Candidates answer questions about needs of city

By Kathy Olivarez

Voting in the City of Mission elections for mayor and two city council positions could set a new record for voter turnout.

The total number of early votes cast in this election’s early voting period, ending Tuesday, May 8, was 2,450. Historical early voting turnout was 2,050 early votes in the 2004 election, when Mayor Beto Salinas defeated challenger Eli Ochoa. The total of all votes cast in the 2004 election was 4,108.

In the 2001 city election, 1,915 votes were cast early and the total vote count was 5,023. Based on the 2004 election turnout, Mission elections officer, Anna Carrillo, predicts the early vote will comprise about 50 percent of the total votes in this year’s election.

With voter interest in this year’s elections running at a record pace, the Progress Times asked the candidates to respond to questions so voters can better understand the issues and the candidates’ positions. While Mayor Norberto Salinas, and candidates Norie Gonzalez Garza and Celestino Ramirez answered individually, the O’cana Slate of candidates decided to get together to provide their answers as a group.

The slate includes Councilman Armando O'cana, who is running for mayor, Ruben Sanchez, who is opposing Ramirez for place one, and David Vela, who is opposing Norie Gonzalez Garza, for place three.

CRIME

Candidates were asked about crime in the City of Mission. Mayor Beto Salinas proudly reported that the city's crime index had been reduced by 19 percent from the previous year. Salinas said he has always placed top priority on public safety issues. When he was first elected mayor the starting salary for policemen was $24,000; today policemen begin at $36,000. This enables the city to recruit and retain better qualified police officers. The mayor is also proud of the state-of-the art public safety building completed during his tenure in 2001.

Incumbent Councilman Celestino Ramirez said he supported fairly compensating police officers and believed that the city had one of the best police departments in the Valley.

Norie Garza pointed out that Mission's crime rate has decreased in the last year and gave credit to the police department for their hard work. However, she said, safety in Mission is a “work in progress” because there is room for improvement. She would like to have it reach the point that Mission is known as one of the safest places to live in the United States. As a councilwoman she will explore availability of grants and other financial resources that will improve training and technical support for law enforcement.

The O’cana Slate said that they felt 12 additional police officers were needed to make the police department more effective. They also wanted to appoint a Commission on Homeland Security for the city.

STREETS

The next question dealt with the condition of streets in Mission and how future traffic needs should be addressed.

Mayor Salinas stated traffic congestion was a sign of a growing city and would continue to increase as the population and commercial areas of the city grew. He said the worst traffic problems currently are on Griffin Parkway, Shary Road, Conway Avenue, Mile 2 Road and Inspiration Road.

The mayor said the widening of Mile 2 Road between Taylor Road and Conway Avenue should start later this year and be completed by mid-2008. Once this project is completed, it will provide relief for both Griffin Parkway and Mile 3 Road.

Other plans include widening Shary Road north of Griffin Parkway to Mile 3 Road. The city is also in discussion with TxDOT on plans to improve Inspiration Road. The mayor also serves on the board of the Metropolitan Planning Organization that has developed 30-year projections for road projects.

Ramirez said he would work with the mayor to fix traffic problems in the city. He is pleased with the plans for Mile 2 Road. In addition, he would like to see city streets repaired along with alleys that need to be cleaned and overlaid with asphalt. In his next term, he will work to see that all of Mission's alleys are improved.

Garza said that the Mission-McAllen-Edinburg area was recently named as the fastest growing area in the nation. The city needs to be prepared for that growth. She recommends a series of five, 10, and 20-year plans to see that the drainage, water and sewer infrastructure, zonings, water rights and other issues that are critical to this growth are addressed in both the short term and the long term. Orderly growth will only occur if the city stays on top of these issues.

The O’cana Slate said they want to pave current streets using a systematic approach from downtown including Tom Landry and Conway. They want to see the street exiting the new bridge moved to Stewart Road. The group also wants to see an overpass built to connect South Inspiration Road with North Inspiration Road.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

The next question dealt with the need for collaboration with other cities, county, state and federal organizations.

Mayor Salinas pointed out he had worked extensively with McAllen, Hidalgo and Granjeno to get the bridge approved. He worked with county officials to get roadwork done on North Mayberry, Glasscock and Stewart Roads, Trosper Avenue and Bryan Road. The city works with state officials for local projects including TxDOT, the office of Rural Community Affairs, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), and the Governor's office to name a few. On the federal level, the city works with the Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency. He strongly believes that working with these entities has made a stronger city. He points out his successful record in working with all of these agencies to acquire funding and support for projects affecting Mission.

Councilman Ramirez said the city needs to work closely with the other entities because many of the problems facing the city require assistance from state and federal organizations. He recommends that staff apply for as many grants as possible to help the city meet its needs.

Garza echoed the sentiment that it was in the best interest of the city to work collaboratively with other Valley cities, the county, state and federal government to address major issues such as drainage. She pointed out the bond issue that was recently passed to improve the levee system, which will affect all Valley cities located along the river. No one community could work by itself to do the work that needs to be done. She would also like to review all interlocal agreements to assure that the city is getting the best results from those partnerships.

The O’cana Slate felt that the City of Mission should take the lead to develop regional solutions to prepare Mission for the rapid growth and increasing population. They would address air traffic through creation of a Mission International Airport. Railroad traffic would be addressed through a Mission International Railroad Station that would connect Mexico, the United States and Canada.

DRAINAGE

When asked about the issue of drainage, Mayor Salinas said the city had spent over $2 million to rectify drainage problems on Bryan Road, north and south Stewart Road, 4th Street and Kika de la Garza Loop. He plans to address other areas of concern during his next term.

Ramirez's comments echoed those of the mayor.

The O’cana Slate recommended developing a regional drainage system in conjunction with all appropriate agencies that oversee drainage services.

WATER

When asked about water needs, Mayor Salinas said while the city has enough water to meet its current needs, the issue of future water needs is a critical issue that needs to be discussed with local, county, state and federal officials and analyzed as a regional issue for long term solutions.

Locally, a $5.7 million expansion of the North Water Plant was completed, which increased capacity from six million gallons daily (MGD) to 11.5 MGD. An $8 million loan received from the Governor's Office will allow for continued expansion of this plant. A new water tower in the northeast portion of the city will soon improve water pressure there.

Ramirez also said that he would work as councilman to assure sufficient funds to replace existing water lines in poor condition and to complete water improvement projects.

The O’cana Slate felt the big issue regarding water needs was to keep water rates down in the city and promised they would not raise water rates if elected.

FIRE PROTECTION

Asked about fire protection, Mayor Beto Salinas said during his tenure the city had evolved from a volunteer fire department to a paid staff of 63 members with a starting salary of $32,000. Three new fire substations have been constructed and a new central fire station is currently under construction. The city has mutual aid agreements with surrounding cities to come to each other’s aid, if needed. A recent funding grant allowed hiring of 12 new firefighters and acquiring the equipment and training they need.

Councilman Ramirez is proud of the new substations offering quick access to fire protection for residents and says another substation is in the planning stages.

The O’cana Slate indicated that fire service could be improved through the addition of more substations. They do not want to see any of the existing stations closed.

CITY SERVICES

The next question dealt with city services. Mayor Salinas and Councilman Ramirez both said the city has increased the number of police officers, firefighters and public service officials to keep up with the needs of a growing city.

To provide for a higher quality of life, the city recently completely renovated greatly expanded Speer Memorial Library. Grants for park improvements have been acquired for Madero Park, the new Bentsen Palm Park now under construction, Birdwell Park, First Street Park and others.

The O’cana Slate said they wanted to provide the best customer service by creating a system of “One Stop Shopping” for city services. “We will treat all citizens like he or she will be the next mayor of Mission,” they said.

WATER RIGHTS

Asked about water rights Mayor Beto Salinas said the city's water rights are up-to-date because staff has ensured that the necessary water rights have been transferred to the city. As far as the city and the Valley running out of water in the future, the city would have to work with other local, state and federal officials to assure the water supply remains adequate.

Councilman Ramirez stated there is only so much water and that conservation practices need to be implemented. The city needs to work with local, state and federal entities to make this happen.

Garza said water rights are an issue of national interest with more and more people and a limited supply of water. She added that the State of Texas is relentlessly trying to address the issue of unused water rights and the city is attempting to recover the water rights from existing subdivisions that were not excluded from the water district. Presently all developing subdivisions are required to give their water rights to the city to serve their needs.

The O’cana Slate feels that water is adequate to serve the city's needs at the present time but would like to develop a 20-year plan and a 50-year plan to assure water for the future.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

With the question of illegal immigration being hotly debated the candidates were asked to voice their opinions. Mayor Beto Salinas said that as long as the American Dream exists people will want to share that opportunity and he would not oppose any person's effort to improve their life or their children's lives. He does not support the concept that Mission Police Department be used as quasi-Border Patrol agents. Securing and monitoring the nation's borders should remain a federal function, not an unfunded mandate to local public safety agencies.

Councilman Ramirez opposed any plan to forcibly remove illegal immigrants from this country and he would not support having Mission police officers performing the job of the Border Patrol. Immigration is a federal issue, he said.

The O’cana Slate also took the position that immigration is a federal issue but said the role of the city will be to assist with backup and coordinate with all federal agencies in enforcement of the law. They said they opposed the proposed security fence along the Rio Grande River. The money used to build the fence could better be used to pay the men and women in the Armed Forces higher salaries.

ILLEGAL DRUGS

The last question posed to candidates dealt with drug use. Mayor Beto Salinas and Councilman Ramirez both pointed out the city supports the drug prevention programs in the schools and had 13 officers in Mission and Sharyland school districts who are working with students on drug prevention. A new truancy program recently enacted by the municipal court will address teaching children to respect the law and themselves and help mitigate the potential of drug abuse in schools.

Garza said drugs are an issue that always seems to haunt the city. She is pleased with the random drug testing recently enacted by the Mission Consolidated Independent School District (she is an outgoing school board member) for the coming year and hopes it will have a positive effect on students by preventing some of them from getting involved in drugs.

The O’cana Slate said they wanted to enact the 3 “E”s Method which includes education, enforcement and engineering. “We want all citizens to be abreast of the dangers of drugs. We want to develop facilities, programs and directions for youth who suffer from chemical dependency, are first-time offenders, are truant, and involved in graffiti.”

In closing, all new candidates promised to serve the needs of the community.

Election day is Saturday, May 12. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. See the table listing the polling sites in this issue.

Voters are reminded to take their voter registration cards with them to the polls, or their election precinct number, to expedite voting. Voters may present one photo I.D. – such as a driver’s license – or two other forms of I.D. in lieu of their voter registration card.