PALMVIEW, Texas – State Sen. Juan Hinojosa says ratepayers in the district need to “remain vigilant and demand accountability” into how Agua Special Utility District spends their money.
Hinojosa has filed a number of bills to improve transparency and eradicate mismanagement and corruption at the water utility company. He provided the Rio Grande Guardian with an 8-page document (see above) listing the years of work his office has done on the subject.
Asked why he has felt the need to pay so much attention to Agua SUD over the years, Hinojosa said:
“It is due to the number of complaints I have received over the years not only from ratepayers but also public officials and private businesses regarding the District’s lack of transparency and accountability and the presence of some self-dealing and conflicts of interest. As their state senator, I am responsive to any concern that my office receives from my constituents.”
Hinojosa said the complaints that date back to when Agua SUD was called the La Joya Water Supply Corporation.
“After an investigation found several mismanagement and corruption concerns at the La Joya Water Supply Corporation, that led to it being placed under court supervision for three years, subsequently leading to the creation of Agua SUD in 2007 by the Texas Legislature (SB 3-80R).”
Hinojosa said that around 2014-2015 similar complaints resumed after the inaugural board members appointed through legislation (HB 1358-79R) were gradually being replaced by elected board members.
“It is clear there was a faction of board members working for other local government entities getting into business with Agua SUD that was not in the best interest of the public.”
The Rio Grande Guardian asked Hinojosa how much effort it had taken for his office to obtain basic public records information. He was also asked if he has had to devote more time to Agua SUD than any other public body.
“I have not had any problems in obtaining public record information from Agua. The problem is there have been instances where documents and information is missing or there is a lack of proper documentation,” Hinojosa responded.
“The legislation I passed in 2019 (SB 2552-86R) has led to improvements with transparency to the public, especially with the posting of information on the Agua SUD website. I hope the improved transparency and the documentation of information continues without future legislation.”
Hinojosa was asked if his long held concerns about good governance for Agua SUD have been put at ease by the legislation he has passed? Or, he was asked, does he think more vigilance is needed, not just by his office but by residents living in the district.
“There has been improvement after legislation has been enacted. But the public needs to remain vigilant and demand accountability into how their money is being spent,” Hinojosa responded.
“In the past, Agua SUD has had problems with employment and consultant contracts. There have also been questionable decisions made by prior administrations, including the purchase of water tanks and the use of energy savings performance contracts for projects involving “smart meters” and LED lights in the millions of dollars. These decisions and contracts are part of the current FBI investigation and are under the State Auditor’s review.”
Asked if there was anything else he would like to say about Agua SUD, Hinojosa said:
“There is still public perception that Agua SUD is being used for personal gain by some board members and management. Even though some of those individuals that helped create this problem may no longer be with Agua SUD.
“Corruption and misuse of public funds is still being uncovered. This past November, for example, when the former Peñitas City Manager pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge and admitted that he made payments to influence at least one Agua SUD board member in January 2018.
“Current board members and the recently hired general manager need to continue to work to eliminate that negative perception and not lose sight of their responsibilities to the taxpayers.
“There has been recent Agua Board changes and a new general manager whose goal is to clean up Agua and focus on the needs of the community. The west side of Hidalgo County is one of the fastest growing areas in the County. My office is here to help and support the Board and management succeed for the benefit of the ratepayers. They cannot pretend that nobody is paying attention. The public is watching.”
Editor’s Note: Credit for the main image accompanying the above news story goes to Agua SUD.
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