Von Ormy Mayor withdraws resignation

VON ORMY-- Von Ormy Mayor Trina Reyes withdrew her resignation on Monday August 29, 2016 in an email sent to City Commissioners and staff.  Reyes had resigned during a meeting of the City Commission on August 22, following a commission vote rejecting her nominee for Chief of Police --Pedro Rosario.   The vote was the 4th time in 6 months that the City Commission has voted to reject or remove Rosario, who Mayor Reyes has repeatedly appointed as a vacancy appointment to serve as interim Police Chief.  
     Texas law does not make a resignation final until eight days after being submitted in writing to the City.  Reyes withdrew her resignation just prior to the eight day and will continue to serve as Mayor.  Her current term of office ends in May of 2017.

City adopts zero property tax rate; Hires Police Chief; Mayor Reyes resigns

Greg Reyes being sworn in  as Police Chief
by Von Ormy City Clerk Juanita de Anda

VON ORMY--At a special meeting held Monday, August 22, 2016, the Von Ormy City Commission adopted its fiscal year 2017 budget and tax rate.  Commissioners Martinez and Quintanilla voted unanimously to adopt a tax rate of zero, returning the city to a no property tax status.  The City receives most of its income from sales tax and franchise fees.  City sales tax receipts have stabilized over the past two years, following a dip resulting from Eagle Ford Shale decline.
    The new city budget totals $656,200.00 for 2017 and includes paying off the the city's remaining debt on the city park ($50,000.00), leaving the city with no debt.  The City also carries over $600,000.00 in surplus into next year.
   The Commissioners appointed Greg Reyes as the city's first Police Chief.  Reyes formerly served as City Marshal in Von Ormy.  In 2016, the City converted from a City Marshal's Office to a Police Department, which necessitated the application of a new law enforcement agency license.  The change also means that the City will no longer have a City Marshal, but will instead have a Chief of Police.
   Mayor Trina Reyes resigned during the meeting.   The City Commissioners elected Sally Martinez to serve as acting Mayor.
  The Commission also moved its regularly scheduled meetings to the first Thursday of the month.

City Commission adopts proposed property tax rate of zero

VON ORMY-- The Von Ormy City Commission met for a special meeting on August 11, 2016 and took the following actions:

- Adopted a proposed tax rate of $0 for 2016 to be included in the rate notice to be published pursuant to Texas Tax Code Sec.26.052     

- The City Commission approved a contract with Shauna Zamarripa to maintain the www.VonOrmyTX.gov website 

- The City will solicit bids to build a shed to house the new tractor.

- The City will solicit bids to clear land in City Park.

- The City Commission tasked the City Attorney to create a policy to allow residents of Von Ormy and organizations to use the city building for meetings and workshops

- It was announced that City Auditors Garza/Gonzalez and Associates have completed the FY 2013 and FY 2014 audits
- The Mayor's nominee for Chief of Police, Pedro Rosario, was defeated for the third consecutive time.  Following the meeting, Mayor Reyes appointed Pedro Rosario to be interim Police Chief to fill the vacancy in the office.  Interim appointments serve until either confirmed or rejected by the City Commission at the the next meeting.   

Former Von Ormy Councilwomen's criminal case tossed; District Attorney reviewing whether to refile

VON ORMY--The criminal cases against former Von Ormy Councilwomen Verna Hernandez, Jacqueline Goede and Carmina Aguilar were dismissed on Monday, August 1 due to an error in the indictment.  An indictment is a written statement of the formal charges against a criminal defendant.  The indictment as written alleged, among other things, that the three former Council members held a City Council meeting without a quorum, but it failed to state that a quorum is necessary for a City Council meeting to be valid.  Attorneys for the former council members argued that the indictment was defective because it failed to list all of the elements of the crime being charged.  The judge agreed and dismissed the case.

     The Bexar County District Attorney's Office stated in a statement to the press that they are still able to correct the indictment and recharge the three former Council members and are reviewing the case to determine whether they will or will not.  

    Following a Texas Rangers investigation, the three former Councilwomen were indicted by a Bexar County Grand Jury and charged with violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act stemming from an October 15, 2014 meeting.   

City hires new Clerk and approves furniture for Municipal Court

VON ORMY--At its July 18, 2016 meeting Von Ormy City Commissioners hired a new Assistant City Clerk.  Irma Trejo of San Antonio will join the city staff and serve as an assistant to both the City Clerk and Municipal Court Clerk.  

  City Commissioners also approved the purchase of furniture for the municipal court and city commission meetings.   A custom made dais, chairs, judge's bench, witness stand, reporters stand, and floating podium will be purchased from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Texas Correctional Industries.  The Von Ormy Municipal Court and City Council/Commission has for years been operated out of temporary facilities, but now has a permanent home in the city offices erected on Quarterhorse Road.  The prisoner-constructed furniture will replace the folding tables and chairs used in the past.  

   The new city buildings and furniture has been paid for cash, out of the surplus that has been saved over several years.  The city's plan to erect city offices without incurring debt has now been completed.

   A 48" x 24" outdoor sign was also approved.   The sign will state "City of Von Ormy City Hall and Municipal Court."  The sign will be installed outside of the new City Hall and Municipal Court buildings soon.

Von Ormy receives grant to complete Quarterhorse Road reconstruction project

VON ORMY--Bexar County has awarded the City of Von Ormy a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to complete its reconstruction and drainage project on Quarterhorse Road.  The grant is in the amount of $250,000.00 for Phase III of the project.      

Construction of Phase II of the project is ongoing.  Under Phase II, drainage ditches were enhanced and the road surface reconstructed from Von Ormy Road to the end of cul-du-sac. Phase III will extend these from Von Ormy Road to I-35. 

  Quarterhorse reconstruction was planned to handle the increased traffic from the construction of a City Park, City Offices and new Fire Station located at the end of the Quarterhorse Road.  The road was originally designed for residential traffic and not for the increased business traffic resulting from the city's uses.  

    City Commissioner Sally Martinez wrote the grant application, which was approved by the City Commission in February.  The project was selected among many by Bexar County Commissioner's Court on July 12, 2016 and funded.  The engineers on the project are Gonzalez - de la Garza & Associates. Bids for construction are forthcoming.  

May 2016 Election Results

VON ORMY--  The race for Somerset Mayor was narrowly won by Lydia Padilla Hernandez by four votes over opponent Leroy Vidales.  Final results were as follows:

 Leroy Vidales .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        170   44.97%
 Jesse Arriaga Jr..  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         34    8.99%
 Lydia Padilla Hernandez.  .  .  .  .  .  174   46.03%      
 
 
Ida Sudolcan and Sylvester Vasquez, Jr. won re-election to the the Southwest ISD Board of Trustees. Full results are as follows:

Ida Sudolcan-316
Sylvester Vasquez, Jr. - 300
Phillip "Felipe" Vargas.- 76
Chris Villarreal - 54

Alamo Community College District, Trustee District 4 race was won by Marcelo Casillas over perennial candidate Phillip "Felipe" Vargas.

Marcelo Casillas . . . . . . . . . . 647 51.80% 
Phillip "Felipe" Vargas. . . . . . 602 48.20%