ArchivesSigns, signs, everywhere are signs. They’ve been put up at the request of Mayor Octavio Garcia-Von Borstel.
 Council members are not listed on a bronze plaque, above, destined to be erected at the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant to commemorate a $60 million expansion project completed in July. At right, a banner erected over the main west entrance to city hall proclaims the “Mayor’s Drug Free Zone.” While it lists two council members, there are four others not on the list. |
Among others, the banner includes the names of the three county supervisors, the Nogales and Santa Cruz County schools superintendents, county attorney, leaders of the city’s firefighter and police unions, the police chief, county sheriff, the Nogales and Rio Rico fire chiefs and this writer.
The mayor, who asked that they sign a drug-free commitment contract, selected the persons unilaterally.
“This is my call; an initiative from my office,” Garcia-Von Borstel said.
In an interview, Councilwoman Olga Valdez said she questioned the mayor about why her and her council colleagues’ names were not on the banner.
“He told me that he was planning to add more names and another banner, and that he would add me later,” she said. “I told him, ‘No thank you. I don’t want my name on that banner. I don’t need this kind of publicity.’”
Besides feeling slighted, Valdez said it is a waste of taxpayers’ money and serves no practical purpose.
Councilwoman Esther Melendez-Lopez agreed.
“If this is a drug-free zone, I believe we as a council should insist that everyone who works in city hall be tested for (illegal) drug use,” she said.
Garcia-Von Borstel said, “Here is an example of us trying to put out a positive message to the youth of our community and then having people trying to convert it into a negative.
“There’s nothing to it. All those who signed - committed to being positive role models and be free from drug use,” he said. “What can be wrong with that?”
Another sign is near the junction of Exit 8 and Grand Avenue on private property.
On the sign funded by city tax dollars, the mayor welcomes travelers to Nogales. No mention of the rest of the council.
Questioned about the propriety of placing what is technically a city-government-owned sign on private property, Deputy City Manager John E. Kissinger said all legal requirements were met including a signed agreement with the property owner.
“I’ve traveled to a lot of cities and one of the things I see is signs welcoming visitors by the mayor,” Garcia-Von Borstel said. “An example is Chicago.
“According to the City Charter, I represent the city and council and serve as representative and spokesperson for the City of Nogales.”
Council members also are not listed on a bronze plaque destined to be erected at the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant to commemorate a $60 million expansion project completed in July.
Sources say originally the plaque was to name each council member, but that Garcia-Von Borstel had his colleagues scrapped.
Not only were the council members scratched out, there is also no mention of other mayors or their administrations who worked to get the necessary federal funding going back at least to the tenure of Mayor Cesar Rios.
Last month, Garcia-Von Borstel dipped into the “Outreach Fund” to publish full-page advertisements in this newspaper to tout some of the highlights that have occurred during his administration. While the ads do cite “The City of Nogales” there is no reference to the city council.
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Comments
Analizabeth wrote on Oct 16, 2009 9:36 PM:
Tax Payer wrote on Oct 13, 2009 11:40 AM:
WE have a bunch of want to bes running our city of Nogales like a circus...and the budget to the ground..
IT IS TIME TO ELECT PEOPLE WITH BRAINS, and not just vote for popularity..
The voters are the ones that put these clowns in the city, and now we all pay for these clowns and their circus.
IT IS TIME TO CLEAN UP OUR CITY, so when go to the polls remember who made this mess!!! "
concerned wrote on Oct 12, 2009 6:12 PM:
Jon D wrote on Oct 12, 2009 4:04 PM:
Dear I AM wrote on Oct 12, 2009 9:53 AM:
Dismatle recycling, nix a hospital, nix public transport, abolish unions. These are not left wing politics. Time to turn off Glenn Beck. "
Disappointed Citizen wrote on Oct 12, 2009 12:50 AM:
I AM wrote on Oct 11, 2009 3:03 PM:
The drug testing for ALL city employees and elected officials (salary or no salary) would be a great way to kickoff a drug-free campaign.
This is what happenes when a young mayor is borught in by left wingers, under their wings, and set up for failure. A kid will be a kid until he leaves his nest, our mayor has not yet left his nest. He still lives at home, and can afford to borrow his parents cars. He is not humble in heart on in action.
Many are not signing the banner because they do not support the mayor, not because they are not drug free. This is very sad to see and read about when there are much more important issues in this city. This is just another case of a poor result from "the buddy-buddy system."
We all hope and pray that we find better leaders and leadership from the top down. You opened a whole new can of worms mayor of Nogales. "
lets do it wrote on Oct 10, 2009 7:11 PM:
Citizen wrote on Oct 10, 2009 6:46 PM:
In Town wrote on Oct 10, 2009 4:45 PM:
Garganta Profundo wrote on Oct 10, 2009 4:36 PM:
Carlos wrote on Oct 10, 2009 11:45 AM:
Outside Looking In wrote on Oct 9, 2009 5:34 PM:
Clarissa Sandoval wrote on Oct 9, 2009 4:36 PM:
Forward looking wrote on Oct 9, 2009 1:20 PM:
He implies that he alone was responsible for the Waste Water Treatment Plant! Now that is arrogance! Or the Expansion of the Mariposa Port of Entry! WOW, if he is so well organized and has his ducks in a row, then he could clean up this town and prevent further effluent from coming from our manholes, or save our town from flooding. AND ensure that Nogales no longer has a drug problem and that none crosses anywhere near here. Does our Mayor also walk on water?
I know voters in this town will realize that LOTS of OTHER people had a hand in these projects. Just because projects are either finished on his watch, or even started, does not mean he really had anything to do with them. Some if not all were proposed well before he was sworn in, by previous administrations. AND some of the projects were proposed elsewhere NOT here in Nogales.
Come on OVB give credit where credit is due. Don’t be so egotistical that you claim credit where you should not.
Drug free town? I applaud him for that. Why not start by random drug testing of all city employees? To show that this city is indeed committed to a drug free environment, start the testing at the highest levels of city government, then filter it down to the “boots” on the ground. Lead by example, and that goes for ALL the elected council members. "
Plugged wrote on Oct 9, 2009 1:07 PM:
Out of Town wrote on Oct 9, 2009 12:20 PM:
What Nogales City Counsel should do is get to work in running a city. Stop bringing up small things up on the Mayor. You have to remember you guys are elected officials, to represent to City of Nogales. If you guys countiune with all this nonsense you should be taken out of office.
I am sure most of the Nogales Community will agree. "
Drug Testing wrote on Oct 9, 2009 11:28 AM:
These signs are so stupid. You have stupid running stupid down there. Signing a commitment for a drug free area is the dumbest thing in the world, a desperate attempt at publicity, and a waste of money.
Nogales is my hometown I LOVE that town, but what the heck?
Nogales is so wonderful. The people are so wonderful. Now that I am gone I miss the fiestas, the food, the way the community comes to arms in a tragedy. This is RARELY found in the rest of the world.
But we keep electing these clueless people to office.
Please Manny.....what can be done to give actual salaries to councilpersons? Really. If they made some money and had staff that could research and write effectively and present effective analytical skills to the council and mayor, we would have a better system together. We would likely get better people elected. More women, more young professional who cannot afford to NOT have a job and live with his or her parents.
We are in a complete crossroads. The new port, the very young population, the access to new educational opportunities and we still fall behind many other Arizona cities. And the angry Garino and mean Hannessian do not help! Especially since they are really nice people in private. This is so sad. "
Backtrack wrote on Oct 9, 2009 11:15 AM:
Elections have consequences.....but in your case.....endorsements have consequences.
You have accused other people of not liking Fontes once he did not tow the line, but you flipped on VB once he flipped sides. He has always been an immature, self-centered, arrogant and ruthless politician, but as long as he was towing the Barraza line he was just fine.
Nothing has changed, only the political opportunity. "
EDP wrote on Oct 9, 2009 11:03 AM:
When you're drug-free, you don;t need your name up all over town for everyone to know it, you should just know that you are and move on. Also, all city employees should be randomly tested for drug use, maybe your money should be used for that, not banners, or travel, or perosnal interests. "