Reprint from the Progress Times - May 9, 2008
©Progress Times 2008 - All Rights Reserved

Election season wrapping up

 

After weeks of campaigning and closely contested races, Valley government and school board elections are coming to a close as voters will be turning out to vote Saturday, May 10.

Mission CISD, which has two places on the school board up for grabs, will be holding voting on Saturday at the Bryan Elementary School Cafeteria, Castro Elementary School Cafeteria, Mission High School Cafeteria, Pearson Elementary School Cafeteria and at the City of Alton Council Chambers.

Voters will be choosing between incumbent Danny Carrera and Patty O’Cana-Olivarez for the Place 4 spot as well as between incumbent Dan Gerlach, Patty Bazaldua and J.D. Villareal for the Place 5 spot.

Also on the ballot will be a proposed $59 million bond issue the district would like to use on various campus improvements and the construction of a new elementary.

The City of Mission has two spots open in this year’s election for city council. Incumbent Ruben Plata is being challenged by Dr. Armando Ocana, Sr. for the Place 2 spot while incumbent Leo Olivarez is running against Ruben Sanchez for Place 4.

On election day voters in the northeast precinct can vote at Bryan Elementary School, voters in the Southeast precinct can vote at Castro Elementary, Northwest precinct voters will be voting at the Mission High School Cafeteria while southwest precinct voters will be voting at Pearon Elementary School. Sharyland precinct voters will be able to vote at the Fire Station Number 3 at 1804 North Shary Road.

One extra item on the city ballot will be a proposed charter amendment to change office terms for members of city council.

The exact wording on the ballot will be "to change the term of office for all members for City Council from three years to four years, commencing with the terms of members that start on or after May 10, 2008."

Sharyland ISD has two places up and three candidates for their school board. Incumbent Juan F. Zuniga and challengers Mario Lizcano and Ricky Longoria are vying for the two open spots. Since two places are up for election, Sharyland voters will be able to cast two votes with the highest vote-getters winning the two open seats. Polling places on election day for Sharyland ISD will be the Fire Station Number 3 and Olivero Garza Elementary.

Alton may be in store for the biggest change in the Western Hidalgo area this election season. Three places on their council are up for grabs.

Place 2 is being fought for by incumbent Ricardo Garza and challenger Yoli Sandoval. Place 3 sees incumbent Jose Picasso being challenged by Richard Arevalo and Rigo Martinez. Place 4 has been a battle between Oscar Tovar and Emilio Cantu.

Voting on Saturday for Alton residents will be held at the Alton City Hall at 509 South Alton Boulevard from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

 

 

Candidates vie for council seats

By Kathy Olivarez

Councilman Ruben Plata is being challenged by former Councilman Armando Ocana for Place Two on the Mission City Council. Plata has held the seat since last year when he was elected to fill the unexpired term of Councilwoman Gen Long, who moved away to care for family members who were ill. Ocana formerly served six years as councilman but gave up his seat when he made an unsuccessful bid for mayor last year.

The Progress Times spoke with incumbent Ruben Plata who has lived in Mission since 1987, has served as president of the Mission branch of First National Bank for 10 years. Plata and his wife, Teri, have two daughters, Victoria and Karisma. The family are members of El Divino Redentor Church, where he has served on the board since 1997.

Plata holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Texas-Pan American. He was selected 2000-01 Rotary Club Lane Chair and is a current member. He was selected as Man of the Year for Mission in 2006 and was selected 2007 Small Business Administration Financial Services Champion of the Year.

In addition to his council duties, Plata is currently a member of the Mission Economic Development Authority, has served as president of the Mission Historical Museum, and was active in the Downtown Merchants Association. He is a member of the Founding Committee for Mission’s Sister City Program.

Plata is active in the Mission Chamber of Commerce and was chairman of the board in 2002-03. He served as chairman of the South Texas Board for United Way. He is vice-president of the Boys and Girls Club of Mission, and has served on the North American Butterfly Association International Park Board.

When asked what he considered to be the number one priority for the Mission City Council, Plata said it was planning for growth.

"Mission is growing very fast and we have to keep up with the needs of the citizens. We have to assure a good source of water, sewer service, good roads and be sure there are enough well equipped policemen and firemen to serve the needs of Mission’s citizens,” said Plata. "When the new Anzalduas Bridge opens, the city will grow very fast. We need to make the planned southwest loop around the city happen quickly so that traffic will not bog down when the bridge opens."

Plata continued saying the bridge would have a positive effect of property values within the city. He anticipated a new wave of commercial and industrial growth when the bridge opens along with additional tourism.

"Many people traveling from Monterrey, Saltillo and the Mexican state of Coahuila who now go to Laredo will look toward Mission instead. With the problems Laredo has been having, they will want a safe shopping environment,” said Plata. “But because it now takes as long as two hours to get across the bridge in Reynosa, they will look for shorter routes to enter the United States. Since the Anzalduas Bridge will bring them into Mission without fighting the Reynosa traffic, it only makes sense they will use our bridge."

When asked to define his role as a councilman, Plata said that it was to assist current leadership in making sure projects get done. Whether the project is a new sewer line, a lift station, expanded water capacity or increased police or fire protection, it is the job of the councilmen to stay on top of how the projects are being handled to be sure they are being done correctly and in a timely manner.

When asked for his vision for the future, Plata said the city needs additional recreational and cultural facilities to fill the needs of its citizens. He would like to see a new community center with food services, rental rooms for meetings and a fine arts facility to host concerts and other cultural events.

Plata said the city should look at expanding the recreational facilities of the city. He would like to see a swimming pool constructed in Bannworth Park that would benefit residents of the Sharyland area and could be used by the Sharyland Independent School District.

"Making the Mission Boys and Girls Club a part of the city would allow the city to help expand the facilities and allow club employees to fall under the city’s benefit program for insurance and medical care,” said Plata. “But the biggest benefit would be a lower crime rate and better services for the city’s youth to keep children and teens occupied in beneficial ways."

Plata feels that the city needs to get involved in the marketing of the World Bird Center and the NABA Park to let the world know what they can find in Mission. Helping market these entities could create additional eco-tourism to the city.

Plata strongly believes it is in the best interest of the city to continue to promote good relations with cities in Mexico.

"We want to promote the idea that Mission is the best place to do business, have international industrial developments and for tourists to visit,” said Plata. "I’m looking forward to continue serving the citizens of Mission by finding out what the needs are and helping solve the problems.”

Dr. Armando Ocana, opposing candidate for Place Two on the Mission City Council has been a resident of Mission for the past 54 years. He and his wife, Maria, have three sons, Armando Jr., Jonathan and Mathew and two daughters-in-law, Spring and Patty Sanchez Ocana. The Ocanas are members of Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church.

Ocana has been employed by the La Joya Independent School District for 34 years and is currently in charge of dropout prevention, and has the title of School Safety Director.

Ocana received his early education at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School but attended Mission High School. He received his Bachelors of Science degree from Pan American University, graduating with a triple major in physical education, health and recreation and a minor in math. He also holds certification in counseling and supervision from PAU and received his Doctor’s Degree from Texas A&M University in College Station.

Ocana was active with the Mission Volunteer Fire Department and held the position of volunteer chief for many years. He has an associates degree from Texas Southmost College in fire protection. He is a commissioned firefighter, certified police officer, commissioned arson investigator, and has dedicated 25 years to fire service in the city.

Ocana served six years as a city councilman, six years as city liaison to 9-1-1, and six years as liaison to the Boys and Girls Club of Mission.

Ocana feels there are a number of important issues facing the city including the need to equalize spending in all parts of the city. He would like to see the downtown area revitalized and have all areas of the city connected via sidewalks and infrastructure needs.

He would like to see a local commission on Homeland Security appointed to study needs on the home front. He would also like to see a veterans’ commission to study the needs of local veterans and give protection to the elderly.

Ocana would also like to see a local commission for juvenile protection that would also focus on graffiti and juvenile crime.

He feels additional recreational facilities are needed. He wants to see two new Olympic sized swimming pools built, including one that has been discussed in council meetings in conjunction with the Sharyland Independent School District. Ocana would like to see a similar arrangement made for the southwest section of town where the pool could be shared with the La Joya Independent School District and used for their swimming programs.

Ocana would like to see that employees get all the protective equipment they need to do their jobs. He specifically mentioned purchasing steel-toed shoes for employees who are required to wear them on the job. Currently they must purchase their own.

Construction of a service place for employees who work at San Jose Cemetery was also listed as a priority for Ocana.

Traffic is increasing in Mission and Ocana would like to see an overpass constructed to connect north and south Inspiration Road to alleviate traffic conditions at that intersection. He would like to see Mile 2 Road widened to the western city limits to help traffic there. Construction of the proposed Southwest Loop will receive his attention as councilman.

While there is a need for increased services to residents as the city grows, Ocana feels they must be affordable services so that their cost does not make it impossible for residents to provide other family needs.

One long-term vision of Ocana’s is to develop a route to Moore Field, which can be renovated to create an international airport to serve the city.

Ocana feels it is Mission’s duty to become a leader in regional growth and take the lead in developing everything west of Taylor Road, looking out for the smaller cities to the west. Water, sewer and infrastructure needs are often best planned to serve a region, not individual cities. He estimates it will take 40 years to develop all the undeveloped area to the north and west of the city. Planned as a regional unit instead of a string of cities, it could be a gold mine for everyone.

He feels it is necessary to provide safeguards for the city through fiscal responsibility and creation of ordinance that address problems. Providing adequate police and fire protection and listening to the needs of the community are important functions for a councilman.

Ocana said that the city has already outgrown the new police department and needs to expand. He wants to retain the old central fire station in the downtown as a branch station and build a new one south of Conway in the Madero area that could provide quick response to the Military Highway and Anzalduas Bridge.

Finally he would like to see that city build a new fine arts facility to replace the old community center. He would like it to be half the size of the new McAllen facility.

He envisions facilities for dinner theaters and other cultural functions, meeting rooms large enough for large groups such as the 10,000 member Texas Fire Prevention Conventions and an auditorium that would seat 5,000. These facilities would have ample space for Winter Texan activities during season.

Leo Olivarez is running again for Place Five on the Council. He is a veteran and served 25 years in the Army Reserve, which he feels has given him the leadership experience needed to serve as a councilman. He wants to continue serving the community. He believes that 20 years from now Mission will have a population of 100,000 people. South Mission will resemble north McAllen with churches, homes and schools. He foresees there will be a need for a new high school in South Mission in the future and is willing to do whatever he can as a councilman to see that the school is built.

When asked what his vision for the city was, Olivarez said he wanted to make sure that every citizen in Mission is safe. That means providing the best police and fire departments with the number of staff members needed having the most up-to-date equipment available. He believes there will be a need for three to five new fire stations in the next 20 years. Along with close proximity for fire protection, police substations to assure quick response to crimes will be needed. Although Mission has a relatively low crime rate, as the city grows, Olivarez feels there will be more crime to deal with. He wants to be sure that Mission is a safe place for everyone to live, especially its elderly residents.

At the same time medical needs will grow and he would like to see there are enough medical clinics to meet the needs of Mission’s citizens.

Under safety measures, Olivarez said he would continue to support widening of the bridges over the Edinburg Canal. Inspiration and Los Ebanos have been down and currently Mayberry is slated to begin. Stewart Road should follow Mayberry and the widening projects will continue until all narrow bridges over the canals in Mission have been replaced.

It is his long-term belief Expressway 83 will eventually have stacked traffic and look similar to the expressway running through the center of Austin where there is an upper and lower level. That will keep the cost down by using the space above instead of having to purchase right-of-way and putting businesses located along the expressway out of business.

Olivarez favors opening Stewart Street south to the Anzalduas Bridge, by swerving it into Bryan just before it reaches the bridge.

As Mayor Pro-Tem Olivarez now attends many of the meetings on transportation. He said the Mile 2 Road is being widened all the way to La Homa in the west in the near future to help alleviate traffic congestion going that way. He feels that all north-south arteries in the community should be widened to the Mile Seven Road.

The councilman is proud of the many drainage solutions that the city has had in the past few months. The city has done a $1 million drainage project that involved running a five-foot pipe from Bryan Road under FM 495 to the Edinburg Canal. The line will move water north to the canal instead of south where it overflowed into the streets. He commended Ruben Diaz, maintenance director, with finding solutions to many long-standing problems.

Olivarez feels that the water plant is sufficient to take the city to the year 2020. The sewer plant has room for expansion. Work is currently being done to fix problems with lift stations.

Olivarez favors city management of the Boys and Girls Club. He would like to see a new facility built on the east side of town, perhaps in conjunction with an Olympic-sized swimming pool for the Sharyland area.

He would like to see a new multi-purpose center built at Lion’s Park. The old building would be torn down and replaced by a more modern building with meeting rooms that could be used by the schools, commercial entities and civic groups. He would like to see it have a restaurant that could serve not only the center but the golf course as well. And because it would be conveniently located next to Kika de la Garza Loop, the public could also use it.

At the same time Olivarez would like to see property taxes continue to drop in order to help relieve the tax burden citizens are facing. He pointed out the tax has dropped seven cents since he became a council member and he would like to see it drop even more.

In other areas he would like to see some beautification projects at the entrances to Mission along with getting rid of graffiti.

He would also like to see San Jose Cemetery get a facelift. A new building for the maintenance crew is needed.

Housing continues to be a need in the city. Under the current housing program 150 houses for elderly or disabled citizens have now been built at no cost to the taxpayers. The residents have to pay the taxes on their new residences but they are given to them at no cost. And if the resident is over 65 taxes are frozen and will not go up.

Olivarez would like to see more business come into the community because they will bring more jobs. But at the same time he does not want to see neighborhoods destroyed for the sake of commerce. There is room for both to succeed.

The Progress Times also talked to Place 5 challenger Ruben Sanchez’s campaign and was told he was not giving interviews.