Residents used Monday night’s Dilley City Council meeting to call for action on theft and public safety.
1. Call meeting to order — 00:04:58
Mayor Alexandria Martinez-Inocencio called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m.
2. Roll Call — 00:05:05
During the roll call, Mayor Alexandria Martinez-Inocencio, Councilmen Everardo Castillo Jr., Eric Aranda, Alicia Machado, Ray Aranda, and Rudy Alvarez, along with City Secretary Natasha Prado, City Attorney Mallorie Falcon, and City Administrator Henry Arredondo, were all confirmed present, with no absences recorded.
3. Pledges of Allegiance to the United States and Texas Flags — 00:05:53
4. Invocation — 00:06:25
City Administrator Henry Arredondo led the invocation.
📌5. Citizens to be heard — 00:07:17
Before the first speaker began, the meeting briefly detoured into a procedural question: could residents “yield” their three-minute speaking time to one another, as other government bodies routinely do. The idea was to let one person speak longer on behalf of the group, but council members decided against it. They noted that Dilley had never allowed time-sharing before and agreed to apply the three-minute limit uniformly to avoid setting a new precedent.
Blanca Hale addressed the council about a recent theft at her property, noting that while the suspect was arrested and some items recovered, many were vandalized. She emphasized that the arrested individual had four outstanding warrants, highlighting a pattern where criminals are not being properly convicted. Hale called for increased police presence and community collaboration with the council to secure necessary resources and grants. She also requested transparency regarding arrests in the city, similar to what the county provides on social media, and raised concerns about abandoned properties being used as stash houses and illegal casinos that “perpetuate a life of crime,” including a recent incident where someone was held at gunpoint.
Jeremiah Hale focused on funding solutions for the police department, arguing that the city is “sitting on a gold mine” with its location on the Interstate 35 corridor. He suggested hiring an officer dedicated to highway patrol to generate revenue through traffic enforcement, noting that when he was a DOT trooper, weight tickets could reach $20,000. Hale expressed concern about current staffing levels, describing a situation where Officer Aguilar was alone on patrol and unable to properly arrest violent felons due to lack of backup coverage. He also emphasized the need to shut down illegal gambling establishments in the city.
Iris Gonzalez acknowledged knowing many of the people committing thefts in town. She described how one individual on a bike scouts properties during the day and reports to a ring of thieves who strike at night. After her son’s bike was stolen, she retrieved it herself from the thief’s property because she knew police wouldn’t act. Gonzalez stressed that taxpayers shouldn’t have to take matters into their own hands and should be able to count on police officers for help.
Alvaro Tijerina echoed earlier speakers about generating revenue through highway enforcement rather than targeting local residents, noting that LaSalle County generates $250,000 every three months from impounded highway vehicles. He emphasized the lack of law enforcement presence from both county and city, stating that according to population standards, Dilley should have 12 officers. Tijerina believed that crime was lower at the beginning of the year when police were more active and visible, and urged the council to support the police chief with personnel and resources.
Erica Gonzalez shared multiple theft experiences, including a 20-foot trailer full of her nephew’s toys that was never recovered despite her extensive camera system. She expressed frustration that officers seemed to want victims to forget about unsolved thefts after time passes. Gonzalez also raised concerns about illegal gambling establishments bringing more crime, noting that one such facility operates in the building where she formerly ran a daycare center. She concluded by describing an incident where a city officer refused to issue a criminal trespassing warning to her neighbor, forcing her to call the county sheriff’s office to handle what should have been the city officer’s responsibility.
6. Consent agenda: Discuss/consider & act on the following item(s): — 00:24:55
A. Approve minutes of the September 16, 2025 – Special Meeting, September 23, 2025 – Special Meeting
B. Review of City Bills
C. Approve employee incentives for the month of October 2025
Motion: Approve the consent agenda with corrections to the September 16th minutes — Councilman Rudy Alvarez
Second: Councilman Alicia Machado
Vote: 5–0 — Motion passes
7. Department Reports – (submitted for informational purposes only) — 00:35:37
7.A Library Report — 00:35:41
7.B Court Report — 00:38:13
7.C City Secretary Report — 00:38:15
7.D City Administrator Report (oral) — 00:39:11
7.E Police Department Report — 00:43:37
Police Chief Steven Hernandez directly addressed the citizen concerns from earlier in the meeting. He acknowledged residents’ frustration over burglaries and theft, promised increased visibility, and emphasized the department’s “see something, say something” message.
Councilman Rudy Alvarez praised the department’s work but warned against putting officers on I-35 for ticket enforcement, saying, “the state gets most of that money.” The mayor quickly cut that discussion off, taking the position that the council couldn’t respond to citizen comments during that portion of the meeting.
7.F Public Works Department Report — 00:46:26
7.G Fire Department Report — 00:51:23
7.H Engineering Report — 00:52:22
8. Presentation of the Officer of the 3rd Quarter — Officer Rene Romero 00:54:04
The council tabled the planned recognition of Officer Rene Romero as Officer of the 3rd Quarter because he was not present to receive it, voting unanimously to move the presentation to the next meeting.
Motion: Table item 8 to the next city council meeting — Councilman Alicia Machado
Second: Councilman Everardo Castillo Jr.
Vote: 5–0 — Motion passes
9. Discuss / Consider & Act on Bids Received for Walking Trail — Premier Engineering 00:54:43
Premier Engineering presented eight bids for Dilley’s walking trail project, recommending Slick City Contractors of San Antonio with a low bid of $195,296.74 for a concrete trail. An alternative crushed-stone option was slightly higher at $215,226.01 but raised concerns about maintenance. Council members debated comfort versus longevity, with some favoring the softer stone surface and others arguing the concrete would last longer and require less upkeep.
Motion: Accept bid from Slick City Contractors for the concrete base, including engineering costs — Councilman Eric Aranda
Second: Councilman Everardo Castillo Jr.
Vote: 3–2 — Councilmen Eric Aranda, Everardo Castillo Jr., and Alicia Machado in favor; Councilmen Ray Aranda and Rudy Alvarez opposed — Motion passes
10. Discuss / Consider & Act on Request for a Sensory Impaired Child Sign for Colunga St. 01:17:11
The council unanimously approved installing two “Sensory Impaired Child” signs near 215 East Colunga Street after a resident requested them for safety. Councilman Everardo Castillo Jr. introduced the item, and members agreed the signs would alert drivers to be cautious in the area.
Motion: Approve the sensory impaired child sign for 215 East Colunga Street — Councilman Everardo Castillo Jr.
Second: Councilman Alicia Machado
Vote: 5–0 — Motion passes
11. Executive Session — Called pursuant to the Texas Government Code Chapter 551, Subchapter D, Sections 551.071 Consultation with Attorney & 551.074 Personnel Matters to discuss and consider the following items: 01:19:38
11.A. The appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, dismissal, or retirement of public officer or employee — Library Director
11.B. The appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, dismissal, or retirement of public officer or employee — Animal Control Officer (ACO)
11.C. The appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, dismissal, or retirement of public officer or employee — Police Chief
11.D. The appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, dismissal, or retirement of public officer or employee — City Administrator
Executive session began at 7:47 p.m.
12. Open Session — Take Action on Items Discussed in Executive Session 03:49:11
The council reconvened at 10:15 p.m. to take action on items discussed during executive session.
12.A. Action on the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, dismissal, or retirement of public officer or employee — Library Director 03:49:25
Motion: Take no action — Councilman Rudy Alvarez
Second: Councilman Ray Aranda
Vote: 5–0 — Motion passes
12.B. Action on the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, dismissal, or retirement of public officer or employee — Animal Control Officer (ACO) 03:50:10
Motion: Take no action — Councilman Ray Aranda
Second: Councilman Alicia Machado
Vote: 5–0 — Motion passes
12.C. Action on the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, dismissal, or retirement of public officer or employee — Police Chief 03:50:53
Motion: Take no action — Councilman Rudy Alvarez
Second: Councilman Alicia Machado
Vote: 3–2 — Councilmen Eric Aranda and Everardo Castillo Jr. opposed — Motion passes
12.D. Action on the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, dismissal, or retirement of public officer or employee — City Administrator 03:52:06
Motion: Direct the mayor to work with the city attorney to prepare and place the city administrator on a performance improvement plan — Councilman Everardo Castillo Jr.
Second: Councilman Alicia Machado
Vote: 5–0 — Motion passes
13. Adjournment 03:52:35
Motion: Adjourn the meeting — Councilman Everardo Castillo Jr.
Second: Councilman Ray Aranda
Vote: 5–0 — Motion passes
—written by Jose Asuncion, in collaboration with Claude and ChatGPT
Disclaimer: This post is a summary of what was said during the meeting. It has not been cross-referenced with any other records, so if something was misstated in the meeting, it may be misstated here as well. This is not intended to serve as, or replace, the official minutes of any meeting.