Can the Esd#6 & the Volunteer Fire Departments Survive?
The damage is done
The Southern Bexar County Community will have a long road to recovery when it comes to safety and security. One of the biggest losers of the entire mismanagement of funds will be the Volunteer Fire Departments, who although they struggled for years to maintain the service they did, had become servants of the community with the assistance of tax dollars for the last 5 plus years. With funds, they were able to purchase the much needed equipment to assure its communities safety and when the funds ran out, the struggle began.
It will definitely be a long hard road for these courageous men and women. As funds from the ESD6 (community tax dollars) are having to be used to pay for the debt incurred by the management of Ms. Mendelsohn, president of the ESD#6. Meaning that all funding coming into the ESD#6 will have to be watched tightly to make the money available for fire service and safety.
As legal fees and community center project by Ms. Mendelsohn and the board consumed nearly half of the funding for the volunteers, creating the hardship that they are going through today. The continued debt stripped the fire departments from funding.
The volunteers will be well advised to begin their fundraising or increase their fundraising projects for this year and the community members will need to go out and support these men and woman to get through each year because it will be a tough one.
Survival
As the years move along; the Emergency Services District #6; the Sandy Oaks, AtaBexar County Line Volunteer Fire Department and the South Bexar Fire and Rescue are still faced with survival.
Sandy Oaks still tied up in litigation with ESD#6, cannot make calls but continue to train and stay certified in hopes of hearing those sirens roar again.
AtaBexar County Line Volunteer Fire Department, running on borrowed time as their contract will expire in Oct. 2013. Being that they are a two county support system, they will continue to fight fires and care for the people in the Atascosa County area, but Southern Bexar County will have lost some admirable members in fire safety; as Ms. Mendelsohn WILL NOT and instead pay people from the Northwest community to fight fires in the Southern Bexar County area.
South Bexar Fire & Rescue, also involved in litigation with ESD6, not to stay open, because they were shut down by Ms. Mendelsohn and the ESD6 board, but because Ms. Mendelsohn wasn't quick enough and before she could acquire the equipment from South Bexar Fire & Rescue, it was sold to another VFD, now she fights to get it back.
The ESD6, still broke and in more debt, which by ESD6 laws is against the law; but when County Commissioner Rodriguez is your commissioner, the old adage "rules were made to be broken" ring so true. The ESD6 continues to be run by Ms. Mendelsohn, County Commissioner Rodriguez's friend and campaign manager who for a time shared the same address on Cantrell St. in San Antonio, Texas.
The Emergency Services District #6 has already lost it's ability to convince the Southside Community of their ability to do the right thing and to run the organization efficiently and honestly.
Case in point
The evening of the 21st of December the ESD#6 held an emergency board meeting. To discuss the appointment of the "monitor" on the following day. Approval of itemized bills was also on the agenda, at which time Ms. Mendelsohn said the district had just enough funding to cover the court ordered funding for the firefighters and the other items would be paid as funding arrived. The ESD#6 attorney, Louis T. Rosenberg was to be paid $9,018.60 at which time he agreed to accept half. However, sometime after everyone left the meeting, Mr. Rosenberg was given a payment of over $23,000.
Leaving members of the community disappointed and disgusted by the actions of this board.
As for the remainder of the board, Mr. Norbert Chavez did not attended a meeting since the board became embroiled in litigation, Mr. Brewer was not been "present" for at least a year and a half . It would be safe to say that this board has been ready to be replaced for the better good of the community.
The citizens of the Southside Community have already lost. They have lost the security of knowing that if their elderly get sick, there is a quick and timely medical response. If their properties are in jeopardy of being burned to the ground because of an out of control fire, that there will be a quick and timely response. Once, you lose that feeling of security, it's hard to get it back.
Can the ESD#6 survive?
Since it is a government appointed board, yes it can and will survive.
Who do you hold accountable for this mess?
© 2011 Lady Liberty