Petition to remove San Benito city officials denied

SAN BENITO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A petition that was filed by San Benito residents to remove the city's mayor and the commissioners was denied.

The petition was created in September and submitted to the City of San Benito in October asking for a new election to recall all city officials.

Those who signed the petition had to prove they voted in previous city elections and had lived within the San Benito city limits.

Julian Rios, the San Benito resident who spearheaded the petition, says the petition was initially created to address a lack of financial transparency and alleges a misuse of taxpayer funds.

San Benito Mayor Rick Guerra released a statement, claiming the petition was insufficient and did not meet necessary requirements.

As your elected mayor and city commission, chosen by the majority to serve this community, we’ve remained committed to progress and staying focused on the positive. We will continue to serve as we were elected to do, and we invite citizens to share their ideas on how we can improve San Benito together.

In response to the petition, the city is hosting a community workshop aimed at gathering input from local residents and business owners on the future of San Benito.

Guerra says the event will provide residents an opportunity to share ideas on how to improve the city.

The workshop will take place from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 13 at the San Benito Municipal Building located on 485 N. Sam Houston Blvd.