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Laredo’s mayor refuses to veto the recently passed wage increase

Laredo’s mayor refuses to veto the recently passed wage increase

LAREDO, Texas (KGNS) – It has been a controversial topic, council members are divided on whether or not the council should continue to enjoy the recently adopted wage increase.

The debate ended when the mayor of the city of Laredo, Dr. Victor Trevino, was asked to veto the pay increase, but he immediately refused.

The refusal to veto was met by a chorus of disapproval from community members in Laredo City Hall chambers.

Network for Opportunity, Progress, Advocacy and Liberation (NOPAL) co-founder Dana Moreno claims she felt discouraged by the decision.

Moreno stated, “For us as the people of Laredo, we feel like we need to prioritize the voters and the people they represent over the money they make every year.”

During the November 4 city council meeting, Mayor Trevino explained his refusal to veto, considering it undemocratic as it would override the majority of votes of the sitting council members.

Trevino noted, “I am not giving in to pressure from the council or any other official, I am giving in to the public.”

Council members Melissa and Alyssa Cigarroa, along with Dr. Tyler King set up an online petition to collect signatures.

Moreno added that her organization, along with other grassroots movements, had worked to collect more than 4,000 signatures asking the mayor to veto the issue. However, many community members were unaware that such a topic was even being discussed.

Moreno said, “They didn’t think city council members deserved the extra $20,000. And so, when you (Mayor Trevino) made it clear to people what was going on, and once they were able to formulate their own opinions, a majority was against that wage increase.”

Council Member Melissa Cigarroa stated that her efforts continue.

I noted, “We haven’t looked at the salary level, so I’m bringing up an agenda item to look at that salary level to see if we can adjust that back to where it was.”

Council members’ base salaries increased by about $20,000, creating a salary of $50,000 for council members and $75,000 for the mayor.

Current council members are already receiving the pay increase, while only a few choose to continue receiving their old salary.

It is important to note that this was not about legality; the council has the power to change the language, and the mayor can choose not to veto it.

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