Best kept secret in town revealed at city council meeting
Following his filing to run for Mission mayor in the upcoming May 5 election, city councilman Armando O’Cana had his candidacy questioned after a resident accused him of not living in the city.
At Monday’s city council meeting, business owner Tomas Tijerina told the council that despite O’Cana having a house on Greenlawn Street in Mission that is designated as his homestead, he lives in a house on North Scheurbach Road.
At the meeting, Mission Mayor Norbeto “Beto” Salinas laughed at Tijerina’s report, saying he had known about it for over ten years and did not have a problem with O’Cana living in a house outside the city limits because O’Cana had been a resident and had worked in the city for many years before he moved.
As executive session began, O’Cana stopped by the press table and made the following statement, denying that he lived full time in the larger home. “I currently reside at 927 Greenlawn Drive and have been a proud resident of mission for 63 years. I have a weekend house on Scheurbach Road. I deserve to have that home because I have worked hard and earned the money to have it. But it is a weekend home, not my primary residence.”
At that same meeting, the council approved a special election to be held on Saturday, May 5, for a replacement for O’Cana who automatically resigned his council position when he announced his candidacy for mayor. His term ends in 2020.
The May 5 election will be a joint election with the special city council election and the Mission Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees election. Early voting will be held at Mission City Hall, 1201 E. 8th Street and Celestino Ramirez Fire Station #3, 1894 N. Shary Road. Early voting starts Monday, April 23 and runs through Tuesday, May 1 with the exception of Sunday. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, April 23 and Tuesday, May 1. On Saturday, April 28 the polls will be open from 8 am to 5 p.m. All other days, hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
