By DAVID LOPEZ
Special to the PRESS
After more than four years of mutual lawsuits, the City of Port Isabel and Edward Meza, former Port Isabel City Manager and former Director of Historical Preservation, have reached a settlement regarding Meza‘s severance package and the City’s Yacht Club lawsuit.
In July, Meza and the City of Port Isabel settled two lawsuits: the first was a lawsuit from Meza against the City, filed in August 2016, in which the former City Manager claimed he was terminated as an act of retaliation for attempting to bring to light corruption within the City’s leadership. He further alleged that his severance pay, which was equal to one year’s salary, was denied to him as a further act of retaliation. He sought over $78,000 in damages, plus attorney’s fees and costs.
The second was a lawsuit filed by the City of Port Isabel on August 2018 in relation to the failed restoration of the Port Isabel Yacht Club.
Meza was one of the six defendants, along with the appraiser, former consultant, and architect on the project. The City claimed the defendants engaged in a civil conspiracy to convince Port Isabel to purchase the Yacht Club for their own financial gain, all while knowing that the project was financially unfeasible.
The City sought approximately $750,000 in damages, plus “loss of opportunity costs,” attorney’s fees and court costs following a forensic audit report.
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