Politics Gone Awry

Leal Stumbles, Grow Corpus Shrivels

Priscilla Leal, District 3 Councilperson decided to get tough on staff today and in the process may have inadvertently demonstrated her own ignorance.

She kicked off by asking for eight items to be taken off the consent agenda for discussion. The first item was on spending $53,000 for water valve inspection services that stretched over parts of two fiscal years. Leal charged down a path of “I don’t understand why the staff doesn’t budget correctly.” Suggesting staff was juggling the budget. In reality she demonstrated either an appalling lack of knowledge after two years on the Council or a wrongheaded attempt to exploit a misperceived political opportunity.

Leal who is in her third year as a council woman, failed to understand the presentation of the service agreement covering parts of two fiscal years, with part of the financial payment coming due in each year. Leal accused the staff failing to budget money appropriately. She continued to think after several explanations from staff, and hints from Mayor Adame that she was off on the wrong track, that somehow staff had underestimated and was taking money out of next year’s budget. What was being done was the money was just being budgeted in the year it was actually spent. She finally gave up at the attempt asked that items number 12, 13, 14, 15, all together. She asked one question then moved they all be passed. No other Council person asked a question during the little political display.

Leal, who is usually a low profile district focused councilperson, has recently emerged at the center of the Brass controversy. An attempt by recused Councilman Brent Chesney and according to Grow Corpus Christi FaceBook site manager Diane Metz, Leal to get the Brass deal back on the agenda has been ongoing since the Brass deal was rejected in a 4-3 vote. While unsuccessful in the attempt to get it on the agenda today, Metz promised a huge rally at the Council meeting during today’s public comment.

WtP has been told that Brass is likely to be on the agenda next week, but only with the swim center and other options including converting the Coliseum into a shaded memorial plaza by removing part or all of the current building. Current word is that Adame received thumbs down on his bid to reenter the Coliseum issue from outside legal advisor Jimmy Bray. If Brass is considered with other options, Chesney as well may be excluded.

Meanwhile, Diane Metz promised Grow Corpus Rally at City Hall fizzled as only her and 2-3 other people spoke for the Brass deal, while an equal number spoke supporting the Council decision to kill the deal. When the meeting ended earlier than usual, Mayor Joe Adame even took the extraordinary step of adjourning until four when Metz’s alleged entourage would show up. Only two did who were asking not for specifically the Brass deal but some movement. Only one other person showed up to specifically support the Brass deal, Roland Garza campaign manager and supporter of Priscilla Leal.