New faces on city council: Mayor Efrain Valdez
June 12, 2006
– C.E. Montague, 1867-1928
He’s heard the threats that an old regime will storm back into power in two years, that another recall petition will demand that a smelly tax increment reinvestment zone be reinstated near Laughlin Air Force Base.
Del Rio’s new mayor, Efrain Valdez, refuses to be daunted. Surfing into office on the crest of a huge wave of voter approval, a landslide by any definition, buoys his enthusiasm for the job at hand.
But, Valdez’s cautious, studied diffidence – designed to demonstrate that he’s not arrogant about the smashing victory – is evident in what he says, how he acts, even in his choice of offices in the “top guns suite” at city hall.
Rather than move into the prominent, spacious office vacated by former Mayor Dora G. Alcalá, Valdez kicked Assistant City Manager Billy Guerra out of the smallest office, taking it for himself, the one most distant from the front door of the three offices and the secretaries’ “pool” in the cramped administration cluster.
“I don’t need that kind of visibility,” Valdez said Monday. “I wanted Billy and Rafael up front there, where the work gets done!”
Now, City Manager Rafael Castillo Jr. and Guerra nearly face each other across a narrow corridor, and both are far more accessible to the walk-in public, if only by the determination of a new mayor who chose to avoid the limelight.
But Valdez’s aspirations for his two-year term are the brash, make-a-difference agendas one expects from a politician in his first term.
“I’m a very down-to-earth guy, and a very humble person,” Valdez said as an introduction to his management philosophy. “I really don’t care who gets the credit, as long as the work gets done.”
Valdez attributed his practical approach to childhood training that came with family traditions of survival, adaptability and determination.
His maternal grandfather, Col. Alfredo Villegas, an officer in the Mexican federal army, left Mexico with three bars of gold, fleeing for his life just ahead of one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution, Doroteo Arango, more widely known as “Pancho Villa.”
In Del Rio, Villegas operated El Triunfo, an automotive shop at the corner of Taini Street and Chapoy Street in San Felipe community. “We sold Texaco gasoline and Gates tires,” Valdez recalled.
At 12-years-of-age, young Efrain was trained and put to work in the El Triunfo garage. “I became an auto mechanic, even if I didn’t want to,” Valdez chuckled.
As a third-grader at Stephen F. Austin Elementary School, the former San Felipe community landmark known as Escuela Amarilla, thanks to its yellow walls, Valdez acquired a nickname he laughs about easily.
Old friends often still greet the mayor as Señor Calacas (Mr. Skulls), a reference to a haunting prop used by Oscar Zamora, a local ventriloquist who entertained the youngsters at Escuela Amarilla.
“Because I was always so skinny, the other kids pointed at the ventriloquist’s ‘skull’ and said, ‘Look, he looks your twin. You could be him,’” Valdez explained, adding that all his friends acquired nicknames, none kind or complimentary.
Then, the entrepreneurial spirit moved Col. Villegas to broaden his reputation for service. Cantina Villegas became a popular watering hole, wisely sited on Brown Plaza, still the community’s cultural core.
Years later, Valdez attended Texas A&I University at Kingsville, and San Jose State University, California.
Three years teaching, 1973-1976, in California set the stage for a 32-year career here in Del Rio. Now, Valdez is considering retirement in July from San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District.
Valdez was a divorced, single dad for 20 years, raising daughters Claudine, now 35 and teaching in San Antonio, and Nanette, 29, also an Alamo City teacher.
Between them, Valdez and his wife, Bibi, have four grandchildren, but Bibi’s children, Marisela, 35, and Juan Ramon, also have three children, further enhancing family get-togethers.
The new mayor is cautious as he approaches his term of office, but he harbors definite ideas about getting the Valdez regime ball rolling.
“The two years I’m here, I’m going to do what we need to do to catch up,” Valdez said, explaining that the “catching up” means getting broad-based citizen input for the affairs of the city.
He will ask council to pass a resolution – not an ordinance, so as to not impose on his successor his belief in citizen input – creating a “Mayoral Advisory Committee.” This group, a cross-section of business and civic leaders, as well as two city council designees, would agree on key issues, concerns and possible solutions to a broad spectrum of community challenges.
Importantly, Valdez stressed, he would not attend the meetings until requested, but he believes the committee can help bridge what he sees as a major gap between the business community and city staff and representatives.
In addition, Valdez will request that council members collaborate in pairs to deal with district-by-district issues, working closely with city staff subject matter experts.
For example, he intends to line up “at large” council members with those representing specific districts, with the charge to each couple to scrutinize and prioritize issues, bringing action plans for each to general city council meetings, as “discuss and act” agenda items.
Valdez’s choices of pairings include Councilwoman Tina Martinez and Councilman Rudy Chapa, Councilwoman Pat Cole and Councilman Claudio Sotelo, and Councilwoman Lisa Cadena Craig and Councilman Mike Wrob.
“I want people to grab hold of their own government!” Valdez said.
Questions or comments? Contact Bill Sontag directly.
Part I of II
By Bill Sontag
Feature Writer
– C.E. Montague, 1867-1928
He’s heard the threats that an old regime will storm back into power in two years, that another recall petition will demand that a smelly tax increment reinvestment zone be reinstated near Laughlin Air Force Base.
Del Rio’s new mayor, Efrain Valdez, refuses to be daunted. Surfing into office on the crest of a huge wave of voter approval, a landslide by any definition, buoys his enthusiasm for the job at hand.
But, Valdez’s cautious, studied diffidence – designed to demonstrate that he’s not arrogant about the smashing victory – is evident in what he says, how he acts, even in his choice of offices in the “top guns suite” at city hall.
Rather than move into the prominent, spacious office vacated by former Mayor Dora G. Alcalá, Valdez kicked Assistant City Manager Billy Guerra out of the smallest office, taking it for himself, the one most distant from the front door of the three offices and the secretaries’ “pool” in the cramped administration cluster.
“I don’t need that kind of visibility,” Valdez said Monday. “I wanted Billy and Rafael up front there, where the work gets done!”
Now, City Manager Rafael Castillo Jr. and Guerra nearly face each other across a narrow corridor, and both are far more accessible to the walk-in public, if only by the determination of a new mayor who chose to avoid the limelight.
But Valdez’s aspirations for his two-year term are the brash, make-a-difference agendas one expects from a politician in his first term.
“I’m a very down-to-earth guy, and a very humble person,” Valdez said as an introduction to his management philosophy. “I really don’t care who gets the credit, as long as the work gets done.”
Valdez attributed his practical approach to childhood training that came with family traditions of survival, adaptability and determination.
His maternal grandfather, Col. Alfredo Villegas, an officer in the Mexican federal army, left Mexico with three bars of gold, fleeing for his life just ahead of one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution, Doroteo Arango, more widely known as “Pancho Villa.”
In Del Rio, Villegas operated El Triunfo, an automotive shop at the corner of Taini Street and Chapoy Street in San Felipe community. “We sold Texaco gasoline and Gates tires,” Valdez recalled.
At 12-years-of-age, young Efrain was trained and put to work in the El Triunfo garage. “I became an auto mechanic, even if I didn’t want to,” Valdez chuckled.
As a third-grader at Stephen F. Austin Elementary School, the former San Felipe community landmark known as Escuela Amarilla, thanks to its yellow walls, Valdez acquired a nickname he laughs about easily.
Old friends often still greet the mayor as Señor Calacas (Mr. Skulls), a reference to a haunting prop used by Oscar Zamora, a local ventriloquist who entertained the youngsters at Escuela Amarilla.
“Because I was always so skinny, the other kids pointed at the ventriloquist’s ‘skull’ and said, ‘Look, he looks your twin. You could be him,’” Valdez explained, adding that all his friends acquired nicknames, none kind or complimentary.
Then, the entrepreneurial spirit moved Col. Villegas to broaden his reputation for service. Cantina Villegas became a popular watering hole, wisely sited on Brown Plaza, still the community’s cultural core.
Years later, Valdez attended Texas A&I University at Kingsville, and San Jose State University, California.
Three years teaching, 1973-1976, in California set the stage for a 32-year career here in Del Rio. Now, Valdez is considering retirement in July from San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District.
Valdez was a divorced, single dad for 20 years, raising daughters Claudine, now 35 and teaching in San Antonio, and Nanette, 29, also an Alamo City teacher.
Between them, Valdez and his wife, Bibi, have four grandchildren, but Bibi’s children, Marisela, 35, and Juan Ramon, also have three children, further enhancing family get-togethers.
The new mayor is cautious as he approaches his term of office, but he harbors definite ideas about getting the Valdez regime ball rolling.
“The two years I’m here, I’m going to do what we need to do to catch up,” Valdez said, explaining that the “catching up” means getting broad-based citizen input for the affairs of the city.
He will ask council to pass a resolution – not an ordinance, so as to not impose on his successor his belief in citizen input – creating a “Mayoral Advisory Committee.” This group, a cross-section of business and civic leaders, as well as two city council designees, would agree on key issues, concerns and possible solutions to a broad spectrum of community challenges.
Importantly, Valdez stressed, he would not attend the meetings until requested, but he believes the committee can help bridge what he sees as a major gap between the business community and city staff and representatives.
In addition, Valdez will request that council members collaborate in pairs to deal with district-by-district issues, working closely with city staff subject matter experts.
For example, he intends to line up “at large” council members with those representing specific districts, with the charge to each couple to scrutinize and prioritize issues, bringing action plans for each to general city council meetings, as “discuss and act” agenda items.
Valdez’s choices of pairings include Councilwoman Tina Martinez and Councilman Rudy Chapa, Councilwoman Pat Cole and Councilman Claudio Sotelo, and Councilwoman Lisa Cadena Craig and Councilman Mike Wrob.
“I want people to grab hold of their own government!” Valdez said.
Questions or comments? Contact Bill Sontag directly.
For more stories like this, see these categories:
You must be registered and logged in to post comments
- Login or register to post comments
- Email this page
Do you like or dislike this story? Please take a quick survey to help us improve. Click here.
