PRESIDIO — The Presidio City Council went into a closed session at the start of its regular meeting this week to discuss how to proceed with the drama-plagued municipal development district.
The agenda item, brought forth by Councilmember Silverio Escontrias, indicated discussion and the possibility of dissolving the Presidio Municipal Development District. The private session about its fate lasted nearly 45 minutes before the public could make comments. It prompted outcry from former Executive Director John Kennedy, current PMDD Treasurer Jiovannie Escontrias, and members of the community.
“If you dissolve this, then what is your future plan for economic development in this area,” asked Luis Ruiz, a community member during public comment. “Or is it just willy-nilly and a political ploy?”
Mayor John Ferguson told the meeting that the council does not have the power to dissolve PMDD, because it was created by a public vote and is a taxing entity. The council could initiate dissolution by placing the question on a ballot for voters to decide. Ferguson said he personally wants the entity to continue and that the closed discussion was more intended to talk about its future.
There have been recent questions about conflicts of interest among the development district board members. City Councilmember Cristian Montoya stepped down as president of PMDD with no explanation this week, one week after allegations by outgoing Executive Director John Kennedy of conflicts of interest with his role as a subcontractor at the Marfa aerostat. Montoya declined to comment about the future direction of PMDD.
“Our priority right now is to keep moving forward, and handling what’s in front of us,” says Councilmember Bianca Martinez-Bailon when contacted by The Big Bend Sentinel after the meeting. She continues to serve on both the council and the PMDD board, and is also running for justice of the peace. If elected, she would need to vacate both positions. Laura Portillo, the wife of county judge Jose Portillo, serves on both the PMDD Board and Big Bend Regional Hospital District Board.
“The City Council can opt to have the PMDD under City Council control as it has in the past,” Portillo said in a text after the meeting, noting that she did not attend the city county meeting. “As of now, we are all unsure of what the future of PMDD will be, but confident our elected officials will make the right choice.”
The PMDD is charged with developing economic opportunities within Presidio. The district is an independent government body funded by sales tax dollars, and currently has a $100,000 commitment to help improve city water infrastructure. It provided 11 grants of $5,000 to small businesses in town to improve their appearance, including to Councilmember Escontrias’ store Desert Trinkets. Last year, it announced the development of a geothermal plant within the industrial district on the north side of the city. The original developer Exceed Geo Energy is currently fundraising to fulfill its commitment to the city.
“Dissolving PMDD would be a big mistake,” said PMDD Treasurer Jiovannie Escontrias during public comment. The second cousin of Councilmember Silverio Escontrias, and the newest member of the PMDD board as of March, Jiovannie pointed to previous successes by PMDD, including funding the necessary GPS for the airport to operate medical airlifts.
“I believe the fairest approach for everyone—including Mr. Kennedy—is for Council and the City Attorney to consider whether the concerns that have already been raised publicly warrant referral to an appropriate independent outside investigative agency, potentially the Texas Rangers or FBI,” said Christina Hernandez, a prominent leader within the La Junta community and activist against the wall, during public comment. “If nothing improper occurred, that deserves to be established.”
The FBI is typically tasked with corruption investigations and abuse of power under federal law, while the Texas Rangers are tasked with investigating corruption under state law. A comment request to Councilmember Escontrias about his intention behind the agenda item went unanswered.
This story was updated by adding a quote from Hernandez, which adds more context to her comments to the board.
