The mayoral seat is one of four positions on the ballot in the May 4 Brownsville General Municipal Elections.
Currently in office is Tony Martinez, who was first elected in 2011 and re-elected in 2015. Also in the mayoral race are Trey Mendez and Charlie Cabler.
Early voting starts April 22 and continues through April 30. Election Day is May 4.
Candidates were asked the following questions: Why are you seeking this position? What qualifications do you have that would help you fulfill the duties of this position? What challenges does the city face and how will you address them? If elected, what will you do to better the city?
Tony Martinez
Martinez, a Harlingen native, is an attorney with the law firm of Martinez Barrera & Martinez. Martinez earned his doctor of jurisprudence in 1970 from St. Mary’s University School of Law. He has four children; his eldest son died four years ago.
Martinez said the first time he was elected, the idea was to “Believe in Brownsville,” then the second time around, it was to “Be Brownsville” and now it is “Brownsville Forward.”
“Basically, the idea was to believe in Brownsville,” he said. “Then second go-round, I think it was more, like, ‘Be Brownsville.’ So, in other words, I think we got people to start believing and then we started being, and I think right now, we’re in a very good position to continue that trend and to continue the going forward. So, that’s really the reason of my … slogan this time is ‘Brownsville Forward.’”
The mayor added that he was pleased with the progress made over the last eight years, but he’s not through.
Martinez said he has been able to translate his trial practice into being mayor and listening to and learning from people.
“We were quite successful in the trial practice so, therefore, we were able to be persuasive,” he said. “I’ve applied that same formula to being mayor for the City of Brownsville, kind of, like, taking Brownsville as my client. And now, what are the things that Brownsville needs and how do we accomplish them.”
Asked how he would address the challenges the city faces, he replied there needs to be a residential component developed in the downtown area.
“Slowly but surely, we’re having people … changing their life patterns and going back to downtown,” Martinez said. “The most successful projects that I’ve studied, a lot of them is you have to really have some people live downtown. … So, you have to have a good combination of different businesses, government activities, whatever, because you’re not going to get there by one private sector or government alone. You got to make it a team component to making it work.”
To improve the city, Martinez said the restoration of downtown is one of the main focuses. He also listed dredging and restorations of resacas, SpaceX and STARGATE programs, continuing airport projects and working with Matamoros on projects, such as the Gateway Bridge and the U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros being built.
“There’s a lot going on and there’s a lot that needs continuity, and that’s really the reason that I’m running,” he said.
Trey Mendez
Mendez, a Brownsville native, is an attorney and founder of Mendez Law Firm, vice chair of the Texas Southmost College board of trustees and co-owner of Dodici Pizza & Wine LLC in downtown Brownsville. He received a Bachelor of Arts in government from legacy institution University of Texas at Brownsville-Texas Southmost College. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 2005.
Mendez said there are many reasons for running but leadership is one of the main ones and being a member of the TSC board of trustees for nine years has given him a good background on public service.
“I think first and foremost is that I’m tired of hearing about Brownsville’s potential,” he said. “I really am ready to take on the challenge of leading the way and make sure Brownsville meets its potential and there’s so many issues and, really, the commission needs leadership. … I think it needs leadership that has vision and leadership that’s collaborative, that can bring people together.”
Mendez said his experience as a business owner and attorney have given him the qualifications to serve in the position.
“I think having gone through the process of opening a small business … gave me a really unique perspective as to what it takes and how the process can be streamlined, how the process can be more efficient,” he said. “I also think that my record at the college, when it comes to fiscal matters, you know, just money and the way that money is spent is something really positive, something the city needs.”
Mendez said leadership, infrastructure, public safety and economic development are challenges the city faces.
“I think more than anything it’s leadership,” he said. “I think that the infrastructure for the city is something that needs to be looked at. I think public safety needs to be looked at. I think we need more police officers. I think we need more first responders. … I think also that the way the city approaches its economic development is something that also needs to be addressed. We have something that just got brought in … which is [Greater Brownsville Incentives Corp.] … but I think that the commission as a whole needs to come up with some sort of plan on economic development to make sure the city increases its tax base and grows.”
Asked what he will do to improve the city if elected, Mendez replied he would do whatever it takes and that he would put in the time necessary to be involved.
Charlie Cabler
Cabler, a Brownsville native, served as city manager from 2004 until his retirement in 2017. He had previously served as an assistant city manager and a police officer. Cabler graduated from Corpus Christi State University with a degree in law enforcement
in 1978.
Cabler believes he has prepared himself for the position and owes more to the community.
“I want to be productive, part of our community,” he said. “I feel that the city is ready for a full-time mayor, an ambassador to the city that is visible and available at all times to our citizens, to our communities, to our areas that are in need.”
Cabler said his time working for the city has given him an understanding of the responsibilities of city departments.
“I understand the role of the city manager, and I also understand the role of the mayor and the commission,” he said. “What I want to do is be able to work closely with the city manager and be able to achieve as much as possible and with the entities … that work with us.”
Asked what challenges the city faces and how he would address them, Cabler listed infrastructure issues, the need for economic growth, work on airport projects, enhancing tourism and increasing wages. He also said the city needs to sit down with businesses and show them how to successfully bring their establishment to the city and how to get permits.
Cabler said city officials should also visit other communities and cities in other parts of the country “to ensure that we learn from them.”
“The best advice comes from others,” he said. “The learning points come from others at times. We need to move forward with our city and avoid all … these issues of fighting and things like that. … I think that we need to be very positive with our way of being, the way we showcase ourselves, the way we display our attitudes toward people.”
Cabler wants to move forward with the city and find ways to communicate and cooperate.
“The fact of the matter is we need to stop all this in-house bickering,” he said. “Be very positive, move forward and be a positive figure for our youth. Assure that we are there, and people are looking up to us and not being negative and being discouraged by the way we behave.”
To access the full General Municipal Election ballot, visit cob.us/DocumentCenter/View/7702/Candidate-Names-for-Ballot-.
