Eagle Pass Finance Director Services Terminated
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2024
City of Eagle Pass, Texas longtime Finance Director and Business Manager, Jesus Rodriguez, Jr., was abruptly terminated of his services as the Chief Financial Officer for the City on February 22, 2024, stunning local taxpayers and City employees.
The City of Eagle Pass issued an email to its Department Directors advising them that City Finance Director Jesus Rodriguez, Jr. was no longer employed at the City of Eagle Pass.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal contacted Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. regarding this development and Mayor Salinas confirmed that City Finance Director Jesus Rodriguez, Jr.’s services had been terminated by the City of Eagle Pass.
As City Finance Director, Rodriguez advised the City Council, City Manager, and all Departments on budget, financial, and accounting matters of the City of Eagle Pass. His major areas of responsibility included accounting, budget operations, financial administration and planning, payroll, and utility billing.
According to the City’s website, the City Finance Director “is responsible for processing transactions for the City programs and publishes the City’s annual financial statements including the most recent copy of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the Annual budget.”
Rodriguez managed as the City Finance Director several City divisions, including the accounts payable, enterprise funds (international bridges), general accounts, grants accounts, purchasing, and receivable payroll.
Rodriguez led the City Finance Department to receiving 17 times the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Award and a 16-time recipient of the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
For the past 19 months, Rodriguez was the City’s representative for consideration of a proposed ordinance establishing a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone and a Public Improvement Utility District regarding a private real estate development of 2,300 plus acres outside the City limits, which the City Council approved the second reading of the proposed ordinance on February 20, 2024 despite taxpayers’ legal questions and concerns on said ordinance. The ordinance requires one additional reading and approval by the City Council before it is officially approved.
The City is currently facing challenges with its decision to sponsor and host a three day star-studded music festival called South 57 Music Fest during April 5-7, 2024 immediately before the scheduled April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse due to loss of its original venue site, Shelby Park, as a consequence of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s unilateral decision to seize complete control and custody of Shelby Park on January 10, 2024.
Rodriguez was the financial guru at City Hall and had his influence on all City financial advice and decisions as City Finance Director.
Rodriguez’s termination was a shock to City Department Directors and employees and raises eyebrows among City taxpayers and many questions concerning the current state of financial affairs at the City of Eagle Pass.
