13 Oct Val Verde Commissioners Clash Over Streetlight Request

A disagreement over who would benefit from a $151.21 streetlight turned heated at the Val Verde County Commissioners Court on Oct. 7, according to the 830Times.

At issue was whether the proposed light, on Cienegas Road, would sit in front of the property of Precinct 4 Commissioner Gustavo “Gus” Flores, who requested it. Commissioner Fernando Garcia said it would, and that he wouldn’t vote to place one there for Flores’ benefit. Flores said Garcia had it wrong.

Garcia said he had seen the map and that the light would be diagonally across from Flores’ property, in a subdivision with three additional lots. He added that he has told Flores many times he would support his lights if Flores agreed to put some in front of his own property, and that he once moved to approve five lights on that condition. Flores voted against that motion, Garcia said.

County Judge Lewis Owens Jr. disputed Garcia’s account. He said the light isn’t in front of Flores’ property and is listed in his own Los Patos Subdivision, where he said he has personally paid for several lights. If AEP Texas determines this one is needed because of an oversight in how he developed the subdivision, Owens said, he would return with it and cover the cost himself. He plans to produce a map at the court’s next meeting.

The item itself asked the court to approve one LED streetlight, funded from Precinct 4’s operating budget, and to authorize Owens to sign an agreement with AEP Texas. It failed 2-3. The yes votes came from Flores and Owens. Garcia and Commissioners Kerr Wardlaw and Juan Carlos Vazquez voted no. Wardlaw also noted that the agenda item gave no location for the light.

Since February, Flores has pressed the court for lights on the Cienegas Road stretch between Basse Road and the Duck Pond. Other commissioners have either left his motions without a second or voted them down. This time Owens seconded.

Following the vote, Flores argued the court had just approved a Precinct 3 light he said was worth five in his own precinct, and said he couldn’t understand a no vote on a $151 request.

Garcia’s response set off the clash. The two men interrupted each other and traded accusations of interrupting, and Garcia told Flores to learn decorum. Owens got up and stepped between them, urging respect and asking them to speak in turn.

Flores later used profanity about Garcia, called him one of his critics and said he would make it public. Owens asked the commissioners to keep that kind of talk out of public meetings. County Attorney David Martinez then raised a point of order that the item had already been decided, and Owens moved on to the next item.