Eagle Pass Housing Authority Board selects Eliza Cano as Interim Executive Director
By: Jose G. Landa
Copyright 2013
The Housing Authority of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas Board of Commissioners selected current Eagle Pass Housing Authority employee Eliza Cano as the Interim Executive Director with four votes in favor and one abstention at their Special Board meeting on Monday, August 26, 2013 at the El Centenario Hi-Rise Building, located at 2095 East Main Street, in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Eagle Pass Housing Authority Board Chairperson Ana B. Gonzalez stepped down from chairing the meeting and made the motion to appoint Eliza Cano as the Interim Executive Director “with the condition that her present position be secured upon the employment of a permanent executive director,” stating during the discussion phase that “Ms. Cano has 23 years of experience with the Housing Authority. She has had different positions. I felt that she would be the best person for Interim Executive Director. She has never been involved in any situations of controversy. And we needed somebody that has worked for the Housing Authority. With that number of years, she was the best candidate for me.” Commissioner Ricardo E. Calderon asked Commissioner Ana B. Gonzalez at what salary was Cano going to be hired at as Interim Executive Director, which Commissioner Ana B. Gonzalez replied that she would like to recommend “at the end of Ms. Cano’s interim service term that the Board will consider monetary compensation for the time she served as interim executive director of the Eagle Pass Housing Authority whether it be a month or a month and a half whenever we hire her employment person.”
Chairperson Ana B. Gonzalez then forgot that she had stepped down from chairing the meeting in order to make the motion to appoint Eliza Cano as Interim Executive Director and then attempted to chair the meeting again by asking for a second to her motion, which Commissioner Calderon reminded her that she had stepped down as Chair and that Vice-Chairperson Jose L. Gonzalez was now chairing the meeting. Vice-Chair Jose L. Gonzalez then asked for a second to the motion. Commissioner Pete Venegas seconded the motion. Once again, Chairperson Ana B. Gonzalez tried to retake the chair of the meeting only to be reminded again by Commissioner Calderon that Vice-Chair Jose L. Gonzalez was chairing the meeting.
During discussion, Commissioner Calderon inquired of Cano if she had a “Bachelor’s degree?’ Cano replied “No sir, I don’t.” Calderon then asked Cano what was her highest level of education to which Cano replied “I have two years of college.” Calderon asked Cano if she had completed her Associate of Arts degree to which she replied “No sir.” Calderon asked Cano if she was willing to accept the Interim Executive Director position at the same pay as her current position at the Eagle Pass Housing Authority subject to the Board of Commissioners providing her an adjustment at the end of her interim service period upon the hiring of a permanent executive director to which Cano replied “Yes sir.” Calderon asked Cano when had she completed her Certificate of Public Housing Manager to which Cano replied she did not remember the date but that she did have it.
Vice-Chair Jose L. Gonzalez then stated that he does not know Ms. Cano, but that “in a roundabout way I learned that she is a very, very good candidate for this position. I found out from other people who are ex-employees of the entity that she is very capable and she definitely knows more than I do about the Housing Authority I’m sure. And I don’t think that her education really has much to do with this position at the moment and what she has been asked to do. I hear that she is a very qualified person to in an emergency to take over the this position of Director. That is just really my point.”
Commissioner Pete Venegas stated that “I feel the same way. I’ve heard many good things about Ms. Cano. I think taking this position at this time is something that is going to be hard, but I think she can do it. I ve heard very good positive feedback about her.”
Commissioner Delfina Garza Morales had no questions or comments.
Commissioner Calderon then asked Vice-Chair Jose L. Gonzalez that he had stated he had heard very good things from ex-employees of the Housing Authority and if he would please disclose the names of these former employees whom had recommended Cano to him. Chairperson Ana B. Gonzalez immediately jumped-in and said that Calderon did not have the right to ask a Commissioner questions. Calderon replied that the meeting is a public hearing, according to the Texas Open Meetings Act. Vice-Chair Jose L. Gonzalez replied that “I could mention some.”
Chairperson Ana B. Gonzalez then told Commissioner Calderon that “this is not a trial.” Calderon replied that Vice-Chair Jose L. Gonzalez stated he is basing his decision based on the recommendations of former employees and he would like to know the names of these former employees. Vice-Chair Jose L. Gonzalez then stated that “if it will settle his appetite for this type of knowledge, a sister of mine worked for this entity about four years, Rosalia Munoz. I did not go to her to ask her about this position. She came to me because I was visiting her as a result that she has a very serious problem with her husband right now. In a roundabout way, she told me that she had heard about the Director being terminated, so she just mentioned ‘you know who would be a very good person for that,’ I didn’t even ask her, she said ‘Ms. Cano, there is a Ms. Cano who works there, ‘ and asked me If I knew her, and I told her I did not. But she said Ms. Cano would be an excellent person for the job and that Ms. Cano would solve a lot of problems at the Housing Authority, even problems that Ms. Carla Mancha-Juarez could not solve.” Vice-Chair Jose L. Gonzalez then declined to mention the names of the other ex-employees that had recommended him the name of an interim executive director.
After a few more questions, the Eagle Pass Housing Authority Board of Commissioners proceeded to vote on the motion made by Chairperson Ana B. Gonzalez and seconded by Commissioner Pete Venegas that Eliza Cano be selected as the Interim Executive Director of the local public housing agency. Commissioners Jose L. Gonzalez, Ana B. Gonzalez, Pete Venegas, and Delfina Garza Morales voted in favor of the motion while Commissioner Ricardo E. Calderon abstained from voting on the motion.
The Board of Commissioners then proceeded to discuss the declaration of a vacancy and intitiate advertisement, hiring process, and qualifications criteria for the employment of a permanent Executive Director of the Eagle Pass Housing Authority. Chairperson Ana B. Gonzalez stated that she would like to advertise the position in only a local newspaper while Commissioner Ricardo E. Calderon stated that it is the custom and practice of public housing authorities to broaden their employment searches by advertising with local, state, and national public housing associations, metropolitan newspapers, and the Texas Workforce Commission. The Board of Commissioners approved unanimously to declare a vacancy, accept the qualifications of the previous Executive Director employment of the Eagle Pass Housing Authority with two minor additions, and to advertise the position with local, state, and national associations and publications.
On Thursday, August 22nd, the Eagle Pass Housing Authority Board of Commissioners at their regular board meeting in a split four to one vote terminated with cause former Executive Director Carla Y. Mancha-Juarez effective immediately with Chairperson Ana B. Gonzalez, Vice-Chairperson Jose L. Gonzalez, Pete Venegas, and Delfina Garza Morales voting for termination while Commissioner Ricardo E. Calderon voted against.
