City of Eagle Pass Discloses 12 Applicants for City Manager Selected by City Council for Interviews Pursuant to Public Information Act Request

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2024

The City of Eagle Pass, Texas disclosed on Friday, January 5, 2024, the names and city of residence of each of the 12 applicants for the City Manager position selected or invited by the Eagle Pass City Council for interviews after a lengthy 18 months search process as a result of a Texas Public Information Act request by the Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The Eagle Pass City Council composed of Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr., Mayor Pro-Tem William “Billy” Davis, and City Council members Monica J. Cruz, Mario E. Garcia, and Elias Diaz narrowed down the list of 46 applicants for City Manager to 12 for interviews at a regular meeting held on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The names of the 12 applicants selected to be interviewed were not publicly disclosed at the January 2, 2024 meeting, prompting the Eagle Pass Business Journal to submit a Texas Public Information Act request to the City of Eagle Pass.

The City of Eagle Pass granted the Eagle Pass Business Journal’s Public Information Act request and finally disclosed the names of the 12 applicants selected or invited to be interviewed for City Manager.

The names and city of residence of the 12 applicants selected or invited to be interviewed include Kendal Francis of Coffeyville, Kansas, Robert A. Eads of Laredo, Texas, Patrick S. Marsh of Port Charlotte, Texas, David Harris of Schertz, Texas, Sonya Bishop of Killeen, Texas, Adam J. Niolet of Granbury, Texas, Cedric W. Davis, Sr., CPM of Marlin, Texas, Andy L. Joslin of Floresville, Texas, Fred Vetresco of Pinetops, North Carolina, Uche Echeozo of San Antonio, Texas, Michael T. Rogers of Tracy, California, and Homero Balderas of Eagle Pass, Texas.

Of the 12 applicants selected or invited for an interview consists of 11 men and only one woman.

The current City Manager selection process is the longest term (18 months) in the history of the City of Eagle Pass, and the selection process may take longer since the applicants invited for interviews remain to accept and schedule their interviews with the City Council.

Former City Manager George Antuna resigned abruptly after an Executive Session concerning evaluation of his services on August 9, 2022. The City Council promptly appointed Assistant City Manager Ivan Morua as Interim City Manager on August 9, 2022, which has held until now (18 months).

The hiring of a City Manager is important as the City of Eagle Pass faces key issues and challenges imminently and near future, requiring an experienced person to lead the City of Eagle Pass into exponential growth and economic development.