His words ate on me for an entire month. For those of you who know me well, you know I like to know what's going on, and am willing to share with anyone I know. I go to every city council meeting I can (about 90% of them), and have never gotten up to say a thing, even though I've been passionate about several of the issues the council has discussed. But after a month of thinking about it I knew this gentleman was correct and I needed to reiterate it for the council and the city manager.
So at January's city council meeting I got up for the first time and spoke to the council in open forum. I told them the words from last month had bothered me because they were so true. Things like the removal of the river trash, the "JB Wells committee" that was illegally meeting and was not appointed by the city council, the expenditures of dollars that the city council has no clue of, and on and on and on. And that whether or not it was intentional, or real the reality is the people of Gonzales believe that our city government is not only working in secret, but going to do what ever they want regardless of what the people of this town want.
There is an old saying that states, "Perception is reality". Our perception of the city management and it's workings is that they are working in their interest, not those of the town, and they are doing it in secrecy.
Afterwards the city council members found out exactly what I was talking about as the mayor passed out evaluation forms for the city manager. This wasn't on the agenda for the meeting that ended just 30 seconds before. It wasn't discussed under new business, where the mayor can put any item on the agenda at his own whim. And it wasn't in the package received by any of the city councilmembers prior to the meeting.
The next morning is when the real slap to the council and the people of Gonzales came. We found out that one month after the city council voted not to expand JB Wells (September city council meeting), the city manager signed a deal, obligating the people of Gonzales to well over $100,000, if not $250,000 in a 10 year deal for a new rodeo. Not one of the city councilors had a clue this was even in negotiations, much less had been signed 4 months prior.
And then for the 'Official Signing Ceremony' only a few of the city managers supporters were invited. Selected businesses were told, most of ours were not. Shhhhhh, the rest of the city might find out.
If this was my business and my General Manager had done that, he'd been gone. Plain and simple. If I was a city council member I would stand up at the next city council meeting and let everyone know "I do not appreciate the actions of the city manager in embarrassing me with my constituents. The last I looked the city manager took care of the daily operations based upon my, and my fellow councilmen guidance. He has failed to do that. in this matter, and it is unappreciated, uncalled for, and I have no confidence that any time in the near future our city manager is going to be able to operate this city as we instruct, above board, and in the best interest of our community."
People, it's time we as a community stepped up and spoke up. We are the employers of our city government. They work for us! We do not work for them! Let your councilman know what you are thinking. Let them know you are tired of "but it's always been done that way in Gonzales", tell them we deserve better than that! Tell them you want to see an above board, legitimate city government being run. It's the least we deserve!
God Bless,
Dennis Nesser
I don't get how can he be getting away with this. Where does he get off thinking he can do things on his own. The people of Gonzales need to wake up!!!!! I don't live in town anymore so I can't vote, but I wish I could. When things like this go on it spills over to the county as well.
ReplyDeleteIt goes on because there are very few that will speak out. And they are labeled as anti-Gonzales. When people of Gonzales begin electing people that have Gonzales at heart instead of electing their friends, it will continue to be business as usual.
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing is that those spending all this money on JB Wells will go on to whatever their future holds and the taxpayers of Gonzales will be left holding the tab.
Bankrupt towns don't draw new business.
Well I feel that if you have a wonderful facility like the JB Wells Arena it needs to be used. I grew up in Gonzales and when talking with people from differnt parts of the state people always say how nice the JB Wells arena is and we (the people of Gonzales) should be happy to have it.
ReplyDeleteI guess the job discription should be looked at for the city mangers actions. They could be in there. I do not have a problem with what was done. The main reson is the more people that come to Gonzales the better. IMO
You're right, JB Wells is a great facility. But the taxpayers of Gonzales can't continue to pay the bills so those managing it can give it away. Such a great facility and yet it loses $200,000 a year? How can that be? Only one answer....poor management. Hire a management firm to operate it so a certain few can't give it away to their buddies.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is NOT with rodeos, nor with the facility as it stands today. I have 2 main problems
ReplyDelete1) We were given plans as to what JB Wells was suppose to look like when it started. Somewhere along the way it went from a city park to a rodeo arena only. I'm not sure where or why that happened, but I'm for the community getting a park, not just the rodeo'ers.
2) But more importantly I'm upset that we can't seem to manage the arena in a manner in which we don't loose money (note I'm not saying making money). If basic business principals were applied out there then it would at least break even, if not make a profit. We can not keep throwing good money after bad growing the usage at the arena when we can't manage the loses as they are. Get that under control then build the rest of the park. If we can get some adjacent land and expand the camp sites, let's talk, otherwise let's finish the plan that was sold to the people of Gonzales and Texas Parks and Wildlife (who gave us a huge grant for JB Wells).