COUNTY COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ (Part 8): Chico Rodriguez uses media to mislead Bexar County community

County Commissioner Sergio "Chico" Rodriguez recently gave a full statement to the media as to the financial problems of the ESD6. In his statement to the media he mislead the people of San Antonio and his precinct into believing that the problems with the ESD6 were created by the lawsuit that the ESD6 is involved in with the Southside ISD. While, it is not surprising to hear this since Ms. Mendelsohn herself has quoted it word for word to community members during her interviews and at ESD6 Board meetings, it is however not the facts, but a blame game on the part of the ESD6 and the commissioner's office to shift it away from themselves.

Commissioner Admits to knowing about ESD6 financial problems

Commissioner Rodriguez's statement made it clear that he was aware of the ESD6 financial problems. The fact is that the financial problems were there prior to the lawsuit. From the ESD6's inception it ran smoothly. According to the audit reports for 2007 and 2008 respectively, the ESD6 spent $229,500 and $208,000 on emergency services.

In June of 2009, after Ms. Mendelsohn took over the board, the ESD6 could not pass a financial audit, so the only figures that are known are those obtained by community members through open records requests. According to those records, in September of 2010, the ESD6 had only $5000 dollars left in the account, not enough to make payroll for the volunteer fire departments or pay the ESD6 expenses. At this point, the ESD6 shut down two of the fire departments, Ata Bexar VFD and Sandy Oaks VFD and refused to renew their contracts because at this point they didn't have the $20,000 they would have needed to pay at the renewal of their contract. The lack of fire protection for the school district at this point, November 2010, brought forth a lawsuit by the Southside ISD. Clearly showing that the ESD6 had long been in financial turmoil; before the school district lawsuit.

What is also known; is that in July of 2009, Ms. Mendelsohn began to prepare for the building of a community center. Financial records show that she spent, prior to any lawsuit, $102,537.31 dollars on legal fees pertaining to a USDA/RD loan for $5,415,324.90. By this time, they had also indebted the ESD6 to $219,000 to the architect and $100,000 as collateral on the $5M loan, among other expenses for lot clearing and surveying on property the
ESD6 did not own. The ESD6 has continually called this a USDA/RD Grant, but in a recent public meeting, the community was informed that it would be a 40 year loan. The ESD law only allows a loan for up to 10 years on equipment and 20 years on property. So, how is Ms. Mendelsohn and Commissioner Rodriguez pulling this one off?

County Commissioner Chico Rodriguez pointed out in his statement that the Emergency Service Districts were not formed to fund the fire departments 100% and that the fire departments were still responsible for continuing to raise funds.

According to the Texas Department of Rural Affairs- ESD Operating Guide of 2010

The Emergency service districts were created to:

• Hire full time personnel during daytime hours and late night hours (when the volunteers are working to support their families)
• New equipment and facilities pertaining to fire safety.
• ***This funding means more time for firefighters to focus on training and the provision of emergency services rather than fund-raising and other activities, thus saving lives, property and funds for local citizens.

It is my understanding that the volunteer fire departments are required to raise a 25% match. Which the volunteer fire departments have done annually. However, 25% of what they are suppose to receive is not enough to keep them in service when they don't receive anything from the ESD6. Meaning that the volunteer fire departments are once again having to panhandle to find funds to keep running and Ms. Mendelsohn is freely spending the taxpayer dollars for fire safety at her own discretion and with the support of the Bexar County Commissioners.



County Commissioner Rodriguez feels that his appointments to the ESD6 Board are for safeguarding the taxpayers investments. However, it has been clearly proven to the community of Southern Bexar County that the currently appointed board is far from safeguarding taxpayers investments.

Currently, the ESD is broke and had to take out a loan in order to pay bills, they are clearly not funding the fire departments and they are continuing to spend funds they don't have at an alarming rate. According to South Bexar Fire and Rescue, only a partial payment of $2000 was made on a loan payment due of $30,000 (which the ESD6 had been making according to the contract with the VFD). The three VFD's were paid just $2000 of the $8000 they each requested for re-imbursements as per their contracts. The VFD's were told the funds used to pay them the $2000 came from the county, but no clarification as to what county office.

The ESD6 will be holding a special meeting this week, pertaining to funds they received from a loan.

The ESD6 under Ms. Mendelsohn quickly voted and approved upon her appointment to become bonded against criminal activity. Purchasing a Crime Coverage Bond from VFIS for $150,000 coverage on the Treasurer and $150,000 on the ESD6 as a whole. She also purchased them for the volunteer fire departments for $100,000 per entity. Ms. Mendelsohn has received re-imbursements from VFIS for their legal fees according to board agendas, however, when the VFD's asked to file against their policies, they were told that they didn't have any money left, that they had been exhausted. Now, County Commissioner Rodriguez and Ms. Mendelsohn are blaming a lawsuit for their financial troubles. A lawsuit that their insurance has re-imbursed them for.

After a short recap of the financial history of the ESD6, it is safe to see and understand that County Commissioner Chico Rodriguez is shifting blame on a school district that came into the lawsuit with the ESD6, long after Ms. Mendelsohn and her board had bankrupted the entity.