IT'S HIGH TIME WE ENDED THE BOSWELL CULT!

While Harlingen enjoys the benefit of a billion dollars annually in retail sales to offset property taxes, Boswell and his band of bandits continue to "trump" up that Harlingen has a lower tax rate than much smaller cities in Cameron County. Calling them "major" comparisons, communities such as Los Fresnos and La Feria, where there are only a handful of restaurants, convenience stores, and smaller grocery stores. Using them opposed to comparing against cities similar in size, property values and retail sales.

 Jay Meade, Eddie Medrano, and Curtis Bonner sponsored a letter criticizing me recently. It is interesting that noticeably missing was any response to the water/sewer rates climbing faster than at any other time in the history of Harlingen under Boswell. No doubt because they, along with Boswell as commissioner in 2005, were themselves to blame and voted for as well that unfortunate Harlingen history. An increase where they raised rates three different years with their one vote in 2005. Increases in impact fees that no doubt have affected building development to this day, and water and sewer rates that drench everyone, families and small business alike. 

A bailout to cover errant WaterWorks spending on monuments of waste that include the Taj Mahal office building they are housed in; underutilized and unused multi-million dollar storage tanks located on Treasure Hills Boulevard behind Luby's; and behind the general aviation area by the airport off Rio Hondo Road; and next to the former Fruit of the Loom plant.

  Another issue avoided by Boswell's quartet was that their was no mention of the Baxter building issue, the money-losing lopsided property trade our city leaders dealt taxpayers. Using job-creating economic development corporation money on horse trading a $700,000 plus commercial property for a $100,000 dilapidated zombie money pit. Apparently, Connie de la Garza, Jay Meade, Eddie Medrano, and Curtis Bonner, along with Boswell, endorse wasting jobs money on subsidized housing instead of the money helping to bring in jobs reducing the community's need for it.

As far as Harlingen taxpayer money spent in Los Indios towards the Refrigerated Produce Inspection Station to increase bridge traffic benefitting Tudor Uhlhorn's Los Indios property holdings and warehouses, I'll let the taxpayer's connect those dots.

However, I will say that the Los Indios deal hurt Harlingen taxpayers less than the questionable bank bailout where the city excessively paid $1,225,000 million dollars for the bankruptcy trustee-held Ballenger building. An empty and neglected building outside the city limits at the time the appraisal district said was worth $819,987, and where Boswell's client, First Community Bank, enjoyed a defaulted loan payoff to clear their books at taxpayers' expense.

letter by former CITY COMMISSIONER ROBERT LEFTWICH