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BUDGET SEASON: A Deep Dive into Dilley’s 2017-18 Budget Proposal

BUDGET SEASON: A Deep Dive into Dilley’s 2017-18 Budget Proposal

Next week, the Dilley city council will vote on whether or not raise the local property tax rate to $0.885281, a 10% increase from the current $0.802301 property tax rate.

The tax decision will rest largely on the demands of the proposed budget released by the city last month (available here). For the sake of comparison and scrutiny, this article uses the new total 2017 taxable value for the city of Dilley and calculates projections based on the current 2016 property tax and collection rate… Continue reading “BUDGET SEASON: A Deep Dive into Dilley’s 2017-18 Budget Proposal”

Dilley Residents Brace for Hurricane Harvey

Local hotel parking lots are beginning to overflow as people prepare for Hurricane Harvey.
Local hotel parking lots are beginning to overflow as people prepare for Hurricane Harvey.

The City of Dilley woke up to a calm morning on Friday as the Texas coast braces for the impact from Hurricane Harvey. The weather channel offered only this guidance for Dilley on August 25, 2017: “thunderstorms possible at 3:15pm,” and google offered a warning “dangerous winds (55 mph+) from Harvey may arrive near Dilley around Saturday evening.” Google’s map shows Dilley at the very edge of the expected path of the storm and Frio is not currently in the National Weather Service alert area. Continue reading “Dilley Residents Brace for Hurricane Harvey”

DILLEY MAYOR RECOUNT – The Decision Stands…

The recount for Dilley Mayoral election was completed at 9:15am on Saturday, May 13th.

Mayor Mary Ann Obregon’s election win stands, and the numbers changed only slightly from the unofficial count.

Oney Ramirez gained one vote from 81 to 82
Mary Ann Obregon gained one vote from 184 to 185
Gilbert Ortiz stayed at 167

At the end of the recount, Ortiz asked, “how long do I have to challenge the election?”

30 days…

THE RECOUNT FOR MAYOR IS ON!

The City of Dilley posted official notice at City Hall, verifying Mayoral challenger Gilbert Ortiz’s petition for a recount after a narrow 17 vote loss last Saturday, May 6th.

The recount will be held at City Hall on Saturday May 13th at 8am. While the event is not open to the public, residents may be present up to 30 feet from the entrance to the door in which the recount is conducted.

-written by Jose Asuncion

Mayor Obregon Stays, Ortiz Eligible for Recount, Council Incumbents Lose

2017_election

The results for the 2017 Dilley municipal election are in…

In the Mayor’s race, Dilley residents once again chose Mary Ann Obregon to be the city’s chief officer. However, her margin of victory was slim enough (less than 10% of her total votes) to ensure that challenger Gilbert Ortiz will petition for a recount, an action for which his campaign is eligible. The recount is attended by the recount chair and committee members, the candidates and their representatives, the custodian of the voted ballots, the recount supervisor, and any state or federal inspectors.

In the council races, Sabino Mena beat incumbent Joanna Olivarez by a 64 vote margin, and Gilbert Villanueva Eguia defeated 16-year city councilwoman Esther Davalos by a 46 vote margin.

–written by Jose Asuncion. 
Jose received an MFA from University of Southern California in 2008, a BA from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2003, and is a former writer/photographer for the Frio-Nueces Current of South Texas. He currently lives in Dilley, TX, home of his grandparents.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK: City Truck Reserves Campaign Spot for Incumbents

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Dilley City Councilman Ray Aranda’s 2016 campaign tent

Each year on Election Day, Dilley city council candidates set up campaign tents along the grassy area across the street from the City Hall. Each candidate uses various strategies to secure the most coveted spot: 100 feet from the polling place, the legal minimum distance and as close as they can be to residents on their way to vote. Continue reading “YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK: City Truck Reserves Campaign Spot for Incumbents”

BREAKING: TCEQ Pursues Enforcement Action Against City of Dilley

Left: Enforcement Action letter from TCEQ against the City of Dilley. Right: Mayor Obregon's campaign signs read "Integrity * Honesty * Leadership"
Left: Enforcement Action letter from TCEQ against the City of Dilley, addressed to Mayor Obregon. Right: Mayor Obregon’s campaign sign, posted in a Dilley yard, reads  “Integrity * Honesty * Leadership”

Recently released documents show that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has pursued “enforcement action” as recently as February for unresolved e. coli and suspended solids limit violations that started in 2015. The violations and potential penalties have yet to be mentioned in city council meetings. Continue reading “BREAKING: TCEQ Pursues Enforcement Action Against City of Dilley”