Council appoints interim city manager and updates authorized financial signatories

Mayor Gloria Morales Cantu and the Floresville City Council on Monday appointed an interim city manager and approved a resolution to update the list of officials authorized to sign city financial documents, the council said during a specially called meeting.

An unidentified council member told the meeting "our city manager was terminated on Thursday evening and affected immediately," and moved to appoint the assistant city manager (identified in the meeting record as Monica Belize/Valdez) as interim city manager so the city would have an official able to sign contracts and legal documents while a permanent hire is pursued.

The motion to appoint the interim manager was seconded and brought to a vote. The chair announced the motion "carries by 3 2 0" in the public record. The council then considered a resolution — recorded in the meeting transcript with inconsistent numbering (read aloud at different points as variations of 2024 numbers) — to update the names of authorized representatives on city financial accounts so the interim manager could be recognized on bank and institutional documents.

Council discussion in support of the appointment included remarks from Mario Morales, who said he has observed "a lot of micromanagement" and urged the council to allow the interim manager to perform the duties of the office without undue interference. The council member who introduced the items said the hiring process for a permanent city manager is expected to move forward in January and that staff will work with legal counsel and provide resources to the interim manager during the transition.

During public comment, a resident identifying himself as Sergeant David Kaband asked whether citizens would be informed about actions and spending and requested ‘‘some sort of track of what’s going on’’ so residents could see where city funds are being used. A staff member responded, "I will work closely with the mayor and council pertaining to any projects or items the city does have going forward so that we can provide the best information for our community and for our residents to keep them informed of all actions that are being taken."

The council also noted there is a section of the city website for citizens’ comments and that budget information can be posted online for residents to review. Officials encouraged residents to use the website or contact their council member with questions.

The meeting record lists the motion to appoint the interim manager and the subsequent resolution approval; the transcript does not include a full roll-call vote by member name for each action. The council member who introduced the appointment said the city will continue pending projects and the hiring process into January.