Encinal City Council In Texas Lacked Quorum To Pass Fiscal Annual Budget, All City Services Including Policing Will Cease To Operate On October 1st

The Encinal City Council failed to get quorum on Thursday before the State mandate to approve a fiscal annual budget expired.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

September 30, 2023

Encinal, Texas - On Thursday, Encinal Police Chief Pablo Balboa III confirmed that the Encinal Police Department (EPD) will cease all operations on October 1st, according to a EPD Facebook (FB) post. Chief Balboa stated that it was out of his hands and apologized to the citizens that the EPD serves. FB link: https://tinyurl.com/4azpnw3z

It also included an attached press release by Encinal Mayor Esmeralda Arce announcing that all city-wide services, which includes Police, Municipal Sanitation pick-up, and City offices will all be closed on October 1, 2023 as of 12:01 a.m. until further notice.

The 5 member City Council failed to get a quorum on Thursday (2 out of 5 Council members were present including the mayor) before the State mandate to approve a City's annual fiscal operating budget expired.

The City Council will have a Special Meeting on Monday, October 2, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. to vote on the pending annual fiscal budget 2023-2024, according to Velma Davila, the City Manager. Davila posted a Special Meeting session notice on Friday. FB link: https://tinyurl.com/5n6cvfds

If no agreement or quorum  is reached on Monday night, then the City services will remain closed until an agreement is reached, according to City officials.

It will be the first time Encinal City services will cease to operate since, it was established in 1883. The City is located in La Salle County.

As of 2023, Encinal has a population of 541 with a majority of Mexican-Americans surpassing Whites and other.

Full City of Encinal press release:

Please be advised that City Hall will be closed on Monday, October 2, 2023 and until further notice.  City of Encinal will cease city services which include:  Police, Municipal, Sanitation pick-up and City offices as of October 1, 2023 at 12:01 am.   

On Thursday, September 28, 2023 the City of Encinal held a Regular Meeting to approve the annual fiscal year budget.  A quorum could not be reached at the meeting held on Thursday as only Mayor Esmeralda Arce, Council Members Oscar Aldaco and Yrma Arizola were present. Prior to this meeting the City had conducted three budget workshops to give Council and Citizens the opportunity for input in our yearly budget. 

 

As a result, the City could not meet the State mandated deadline for budget approval.  Therefore, no services can be provided and the city must remain closed until such time as a budget can be adopted for the 2023/2024 Fiscal Year.

Mayor Esmeralda Arce apologizes in advance for any inconvenience this closure will cause for our community.

16-year-old Daiveon G. Buford Charged With 1st-degree Reckless Stabbing Homicide Of James R. Howard, 24, In The Southside Of Milwaukee

Buford remains on the run, according to Milwaukee police.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

September 28, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On September 26, Daiveon G. Buford, 16, was charged as an adult with one felony count of 1st-degree reckless homicide and use of a dangerous weapon for the September 21, 2023 stabbing homicide of James R. Howard, 24, at the 300 block of W. Orchard Street in the Southside of Milwaukee.

If convicted as an adult, Buford is facing 60-years in prison for the reckless homicide charge and up to 9-months for use of a dangerous weapon.

According to the criminal complaint, Howard was stabbed by Buford in the back during an altercation between Howard and his former girlfriend Buford's sister.

Apparently, Howard was staying on and off with Buford's sister, when she came home that day, she found Howard with another woman in her place. She told the woman to leave and then she began to have an altercation with Howard.

While Howard was holding her, Buford suddenly stabbed Howard in the back. Howard later died at the hospital from his stabbing injury.

Buford fled the crime scene and a felony warrant for murder was issued on September 26. Buford remains on the run, according to police.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

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27-year-old And 55-Year-old Male Victims Shot While Inside Elsa's On The Park Restaurant & Bar, Suspect(s) Sought By Milwaukee Police

Milwaukee police are  investigating a double shooting inside Elsa's On The Park Restaurant & Bar by Cathedral Square Park in downtown Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

September 28, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Wednesday, Milwaukee police responded around 8:04 p.m. to a double shooting at Elsa's On The Park Restaurant & Bar at the 800 N. Jefferson Street by Cathedral Square Park.

Several victims ages 27 and 55 were shot while inside restaurant when an unknown suspect opened fire from the outside and struck the 2 victims. One male victim was conveyed to a local hospital for treatment of non-fatal gunshot wounds. USFIR reported that he was shot at least 7 times, and the second male victim suffered a grazed wound to the head and he did not need treatment, according to the preliminary shooting investigation.

The second victim was an employee at Elsa's.

At least 28 spent cartridges were found just outside of the doors of the restaurant on the sidewalk and several inside indicating there might have been an exchange of gunfire.

Police are reviewing surveillance video footage from Elsa's and nearby businesses to identify the suspect or suspects connected to the shooting.

Milwaukee Police Captain Allen Warren in a press conference says that it is not known yet, if the suspect(s) and victims knew each other or that it was a drive-by shooting, but the suspect was believed to have been outside of the restaurant when the shooting occurred. 

A photo from inside Elsa's On The Park circulating in social media an posted on Facebook by Dwayne Poochie Roberts allegedly shows blood on the restaurant & bar floor and a police officer standing near a handgun. 

The front door of the restaurant was shattered by multiple gunshots. (Photo of front doors posted on social media (Facebook) by Princess High)

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

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Ordinance To Inspect And Enforce Compliance Of Building Zoning Codes At HACM Properties Unanimously Approved By City Of Milwaukee Steering & Rules Committee

The Milwaukee Common Council Steering and Rules Committee unanimously approved a City ordinance for the Department of Neighborhood Services to inspect and enforce building and zoning codes at HACM properties.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

September 25, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Monday, the Milwaukee Common Council Steering and Rules Committee unanimously approved City ordinance 230571 that would allow the City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) to inspect and enforce building and zoning codes at the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM). The DNS is looking into getting City funding for 2024 to hire at least 5 City building inspectors to inspect about 4,000 units at HACM properties.

Willie Hines, the Executive Director and Secretary of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee told the Committee that he supported the passage of the ordinance to hold HACM accountable.

At the hearing on Monday, HACM allegedly claimed that they receive between 1,600 to 2,000 work orders from tenants for repairs per month, which the Milwaukee Southside Alderman Jóse G. Pérez, the Common Council President believed it was an unreal HACM total. Full hearing video link: https://milwaukee.granicus.com/player/clip/3764

The ordinance now goes before the full Milwaukee Common Council for approval on October 10th, which will include an amendment for the Committee to get reports of updates of repairs done and tickets issued by the DNS for failure to comply with repairs at HACM properties. If HACM is found to be non-compliant with building or housing zoning codes, it could be charged fees or fines for violations to be determined by the municipal court.

Common Ground, a non-profit organization and its United Tenants campaign helped organized HACM tenants to come forward and complain about the poor living conditions at HACM development properties. The four tenants at the hearing cited bed bug infestations, mold at apartments (units), rats and failure of HACM to do timely repairs at their properties.

At the hearing, HACM tenants alleged that HACM was negligent to do timely repairs on work orders and in many occasions failed to do any repairs.

Currently, HACM doesn't have a system to report all the major repairs needed to be done for each property or for tenants to followup on their complaints.

Several HUD audits found millions of dollars were mismanaged including thousands of dollars spent on HACM credit cards by managers of multiple developments unaccounted and lacked any record keeping of the expenditures, according to HUD audits.

At the end of last year, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Hines received a 47-page report (audit) indicating that HACM allegedly was "at risk of serious fraud, waste and abuse," according to the HUD report. (47-page report by HUD at link: https://tinyurl.com/5czw2pft)

Hines earns at least $240,000 in annual salary.

A second HUD report in April found that HACM's bank statements and internal booking records showed more than $3M in discrepancies, HACM staff could not produce receipts for $49,876.16 in expenditures by HACM credit cards. HUD also found that HACM kept poor record keeping that made it difficult for HUD to determine key financial balances for the Section 8 Program.

Milwaukee Common Council President Jóse G. Pérez Calls For Accountability Of Housing Authority Administrators After Audit By HUD Found Millions Of Dollars Unaccounted Or Missing

Alderman Pérez says, the Milwaukee Housing Authority must be brought to account after HUD found more than $3M unaccounted or missing, according to several HUD audits.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

September 20, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Wednesday, Alderman Jóse G. Pérez, the President of the Common Council released a statement saying that the Housing Authority of The City of Milwaukee (HACM) administrators should be held to accountable after several HUD audits found millions of dollars were mismanaged including thousands of dollars spent on HACM credit cards by managers of multiple developments unaccounted and lacked any record of the expenditures, according to HUD audits.

HUD rated HACM with 26, one of the lowest rates given to a non-profit housing authority in the country for incompetent management and a lack of fundamental accountability of federal funds.

On Monday, September 25, 2023, the Steering and Rules Committee will take up an ordinance that accomplishes this goal by directing the Department of Neighborhood Services to inspect and, if necessary, cite the HACM for violations of our ordinances. It is well past time the city's second largest landlord play by the same rules as everyone else, Ald. Pérez indicated.

Ald. Pérez in a press release also says, the public release of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's review of the HACM's Housing Choice Voucher program has made clear how dysfunctional the authority's operations have become, and underscores the need for action, such as that in the proposed ordinance. The report is a damning account of inefficiency, incompetence, and a fundamental lack of accountability, all involving public funds intended to benefit some of our most vulnerable residents. Recommendations were made for improvements that were, it seems, never carried out. I have written to the author of this review to ask how the HACM will be held accountable for not following previous recommendations and what will be done to ensure they are followed in the future.

At the end of last year, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Willie Hines, the Executive Director and Secretary of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee received a 47-page report (audit) indicating that HACM allegedly was "at risk of serious fraud, waste and abuse," according to the HUD report. (47-page report by HUD at link: https://tinyurl.com/5czw2pft)

Hines earns at least $240,000 in annual salary.

A second HUD report in April found that HACM's bank statements and internal booking records showed more than $3M in discrepancies, HACM staff could not produce receipts for $49,876.16 in expenditures by HACM credit cards. HUD also found that HACM kept poor record keeping that made it difficult for HUD to determine key financial balances for the Section 8 Program.

HUD assessment rating of Section 8 Programs, if a non-profit housing authority or program scores 60, then it's labeled in "trouble" by HUD raising red flags, leading to further audits by the federal Housing Urban Development agency. HACM received a 28 rate score as a result of the last two audits by HUD.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (JS), HACM attributed the current audit issues to technology upgrades, staffing challenges and the pandemic. (JS full article: https://tinyurl.com/4fwmyphf)

On September 13, 2023, the HACM Board approved $600,000 to contract the accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) for a five-year audit of their Section 8 Program, according to HACM Board meeting records.

The HACM Board of Commissioners is composed of 7 members who are appointed by the mayor of Milwaukee and ratified by the Milwaukee Common Council, two of those Commission positions are reserved for HACM tenants who have yet to be appointed.

The four current HACM Commissioners are Sherri Reed Daniels, Chairwoman; Brooke Vandeberg, Vice-chair; Irma Yépez-Klassen and Darien Luckett, according to the HACM website.

On March 26, 2023, during a public meeting held by Common Ground, the residents from the Mitchell Court development raised issues and demanded an investigation of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee after they say they have experienced assault; bedbugs and rats; "lost" rent payments; abusive management;  mold; and no heat. (Full article: https://tinyurl.com/ahhtjhme)

Common Ground has been instrumental in organizing and representing HACM residents for the last several years.

Common Ground, a non-profit organization and its Tenants United campaign are inviting HACM tenants to attend a Milwaukee Common Council Steering and Rules Committee hearing on the Housing Authority's Accountability on Monday at 1:00 p.m. (meet at Rotunda) on September 25, 2023, at City Hall, hearing at room 301-B, 200 E. Wells St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Fela Salinas, Honored As The RHC Latinx Heritage Month 2023 Award Recipient For Her 1970 Educational Activisim Against Enrollment Discriminatory Barrier At UW-Milwaukee

Salinas was instrumental along other educational activists in the 1970's who are credited for eliminating the discriminatory barrier that kept Wisconsin and Milwaukee Latinos from enrolling at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

September 19, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Tuesday, the Roberto Hernandez Center (RHC) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) announced that Fela Salinas, is the 2023 RHC-LHM award recipient and will be honored on November 3rd with the Latinx Heritage Month (LHM) Award for her past educational activism and instrumental effort along with other Latino community educational activists that helped eliminate the discriminatory barrier in the 1970's that was practiced and kept Latinos/Hispanics from enrolling at UWM under then Chancellor J. Martin Klotsche at Chapman Hall. "Discriminatory treatment was the norm," cited from Myraid Magazine UWM 1990.

In 1970, there were only 14 Latino students enrolled at UWM, which the majority were from Latin and Central American countries compared to 25,000 Whites students. 

On August 27, 1970, the Latino community under the leadership of Jesus Salas, Roberto Hernandez, Armando Orellana and Ernesto Chacon staged a takeover and sit-in at Chancellor Klotsche's office in Chapman Hall to challenged the university's discriminatory policy that was practiced, and the community's demand for UWM to allow enrollment of Latinos.

Their success in 1970 higher educational movement helped create the Spanish Speaking Outreach Institute (SSOI) at UWM, which focused on recruitement, advising and retention of Hispanic university students. The SSOI was later renamed in 1996, the Roberto Hernandez Center and since 1970 thousands of Hispanics have graduated from UWM.

Salinas along with hundreds educational activists participated in the UWM Chancellor Klotsche's office takeover and days that followed of protests until Klotsche finally agreed to allow Latinos to enroll at UWM.

According to LinkedIn, Salinas works as a Claims Representative for the Social Security Administration and is currently a volunteer entertainment coordinator for the popular 3-day Mexican Fiesta in Milwaukee.

In the academic year for 2021-2022, 512 Latinos graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, according to the RHC website.

Update: Highlights of the November 3, 2023, Roberto Hernández Center Latinx Heritage Month Award 2023 to recipient Fela Salinas. https://tinyurl.com/ycktfxf7

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

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September 16th Mexican Flag Impromptu Waving And Alleged Reckless Driver Jaymie Rosales Hernandez, 23, And Passenger Francisco Sanchez-Parra, 35, Criminally Charged

Hernandez was criminally charged for driving recklessly and endangering safety, fleeing-eluding a police officer and resisting arrest and obstructing police, and Sanchez-Parra was charged for resisting arrest and obstructing an officer during a pursued from S. Chávez Drive by Milwaukee police. Hernandez eventually lost control at the 2600 block of W. National Ave. and crashed into a corner building, the former Candela's Banquet and Convention Facility in the Southside of Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

September 18, 2023

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Monday, Jaymie Rosales Hernandez, 23, was criminally charged with two felony counts for 2nd-degree recklessly endangering safety, fleeing-eluding a police officer and one misdemeanor count for resisting arrest and obstructing police, and Francisco Sanchez-Parra, 35, was charged with one misdemeanor count for resisting arrest and obstructing an officer during a pursued that began at the 1000 block of S. César E.  Chávez Drive on Saturday,  September 16, 2023 by Milwaukee police. 

Hernandez, if convicted is facing up to 10 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines for 2nd-degree recklessly endangering safety; up to 3 years and 6 months in prison and up to $10,000 in fines for fleeing and eluding police; and up to 1 year in jail for resisting and obstructing an officer. A $15,300 cash bail was set for Hernandez.

Sanchez-Parra, if convicted is facing up to 1 year in jail for resisting and obstructing an officer. A $300 cash bail was set of Sanchez-Parra.

Both Hernandez and Sanchez-Parra are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, according to court records.

Police on Saturday attempted to stop Hernandez during a traffic stop on Chávez Drive because two individuals riding in the rear cargo section of his Silverado White truck were acting disorderly, but Hernandez began to zigzag on Chávez Drive to pass vehicles and entered the Family Dollar parking lot and fled from police.

Hernandez sped away from the scene and eventually later lost control at the 2600 block of W. National Ave. and crashed into a corner building, the former Candela's Banquet and Convention Facility in the Southside of Milwaukee.

Police immediately arrived at the crash site and were able to arrest both Hernandez and Sanchez-Parra, the two other individuals riding in the back cargo section fled the scene after the crash. They were not taken into custody. They were not taken into custody. Arrest video: https://youtu.be/BAJBXYqYOKk

More than 7 Milwaukee police supervisors (sergeants) and police officers were at the scene.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)

HNNUSA: They were not taken into custody. Arrest video: https://youtu.be/BAJBXYqYOKk

Update:

Criminal charges for both suspects still listed as of September 20th and on September 26, a status conference hearing is scheduled at 1:30 p.m., according to court records.

Francisco Sanchez-Parra was released on Tuesday, on a $1,000 signature bond pending hearings and Jaymie Rosales Hernandez cash bail was set at $750, according to court records. Court officials stipulated that both should not contact each other under conditions of bail.