By DIANTÉ MARIGNY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
After several recent letters to the editor raised concerns about the Town of Laguna Vista’s budget and employee salaries, City Manager Victor G. Treviño reached out to clarify the facts.
Treviño, who marks his six-month anniversary as City Manager this month, said he understands why some residents were upset but emphasized that no city positions were ever eliminated as part of the budget process.
“Never, at any time did the budget process cut any or even propose cutting positions for the library,” Treviño said in a phone conversation. “What happened was a misunderstanding that came from a preliminary discussion with staff that was shared before it was ready.”
The City Manager explained that while the budget process was properly noticed and discussed in public hearings, the confusion began after he spoke with library employees about a possible staffing adjustment — having a clerk split time between City Hall and the library.
“It wasn’t that the community didn’t know about the budget process,” he said. “Unfortunately, this other thing was communicated by staff, and it was basically very preliminary. It was misunderstood.”
Treviño also clarified that concerns about reduced pay for the library clerk stemmed from a bookkeeping error rather than an intentional cut.
“At no point was her pay going to be cut or decreased,” he said. “What happened is that one of my predecessors hired her at a higher salary in the middle of the fiscal year. That higher figure wasn’t reflected in the budget document, so when people saw the lower, entry-level number, they assumed it meant her pay was being reduced. That was not the case.”
Beyond addressing library staffing questions, Treviño spoke directly to the topic of his own salary and that of the City Secretary — an issue raised in multiple letters. He confirmed that both positions were hired at higher rates than their predecessors, but that the new budget only includes a 3% raise for all employees. The City Secretary will not receive the raise until she has been with the city for six months.
To put salaries into context, Treviño shared a comparison with nearby and similar-sized Texas cities:
South Padre Island (pop. 2,638): City Manager – $145,453 | City Secretary – $69,472
Port Isabel (pop. 5,210): City Manager – $93,500 (part-time) | City Secretary – $64,292
Los Fresnos (pop. 8,114): City Manager – $164,440 | City Secretary – $79,568
Laguna Vista (pop. 4,039): City Manager – $125,000 | City Secretary – $55,000
Garden Ridge (pop. 4,186): City Manager – $153,252 | City Secretary – $87,300
Palacios (pop. 4,701): City Manager – $130,297 | City Secretary – $61,594
“As we can see, Laguna Vista is comparable with our neighboring cities and with Garden Ridge and Palacios, two Texas cities with almost the same population as ours,” Treviño said.
As he reflected on his first months in office, Treviño acknowledged challenges such as flooding, mosquitoes, community complaints, and what he described as “lively meetings.” Still, he remains encouraged by the direction of the Town Council and said he plans to begin weekly updates to help residents stay informed with “notable and accurate information.”
He also stressed that residents are always welcome to reach out directly.
“I want people to know my door is always open,” Treviño said.
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