City council to decide on attorney candidate
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The city council will take the final vote Tuesday to adopt a $144.7 million budget that takes effect Oct. 1.
There will also be a final vote adopting a tax rate of 64.5 cents for each $100 of taxable property ...
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The city council will take the final vote Tuesday to adopt a $144.7 million budget that takes effect Oct. 1.
There will also be a final vote adopting a tax rate of 64.5 cents for each $100 of taxable property value. The rate is down from 65 cents originally proposed in the budget.
There will be an emergency vote Tuesday by the city council to decide whether to issue $26.52 million in certificates of obligation.
A breakdown of how the money will be used includes:
$12.6 million for rebuilding part of Sam Houston Drive.
$2.5 million to reimburse the general fund for construction of Fire Station 4 on Salem.
$2 million for rebuilding Red River Street between Ben Jordan and Sam Houston streets.
$4.8 million for Phase 2 of the Laurent Street reconstruction project.
$4 million for replacement of two-way radios.
Victoria's next city attorney could be a local lawyer who enjoys being involved in the community.
Thomas Gwosdz, 39, said a recent example of that involvement was helping to organize the Riverside Bike Ride put on by the Kiwanis Club of Victoria.
"That and other things I'm doing just demonstrate the desire I have to help out in the community," he said. "I like the idea of merging that personal interest with my professional career."
The city council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at 107 W. Juan Linn St. to vote on hiring Gwosdz (pronounced goosh). He would replace Miles Risley, who resigned earlier this year to become the city attorney for the city of Wichita Falls.
George E. Hyde of San Antonio has been serving as interim city attorney.
Gwosdz would make $125,000 a year, which compares to the $103,000 a year Risley made.
"The top range for city attorneys of a town this size is considerably higher than we're paying him," Mayor Will Armstrong said. "As a new employee, we wanted to stick with the proper range for cities this size, but on the low end."
The city hired Waters Consulting Group of Dallas to begin the search for a new city attorney, including taking resumes and narrowing the field to the top five or six candidates.
City Manager Charles Windwehen, Deputy City Manager Charmelle Garrett and Hyde conducted interviews with those candidates and narrowed the number to three.
The city council interviewed two of them last week and tentatively settled on Gwosdz. The second candidate interviewed was Bob Houston, also of Victoria.
Armstrong said both were well qualified for the position.
"We had to make a decision," he said. "I know the decision weighed heavily on everyone's mind, with two well qualified candidates."
Gwosdz said he has no legal experience in the municipal law field, but he has represented school districts for the past seven years. He said some are in the region, but declined to name them.
"Representing a city is very similar to a school district," he said. "A lot of the same rules and situations apply."
Gwosdz said he doesn't plan to make substantial changes initially. "Anytime you come into a situation, you need to assess what's going on before you know what needs to be changed."
Gwosdz grew up in Alvin, although his dad went to high school in Edna and his mom in Industrial. He has been in Victoria for 20 months.
Gwosdz and wife Amy, a Victoria native, have five children ranging in age from 4 to 14.
Comments
Yes, it is that questionable. And I'm not real warm on this guy's experience being in school districts. What, were all the mafia lawyers taken?
September 17, 2009 at 7:55 p.m.This entire situation should be of great concern to the citizens of Victoria. Mayor Armstrong went to great extremes to point out that Mr. Risley was one of only 70 attorneys in the U.S. "certified" as a municipal law expert. If that is the case, which from the information I could locate it is, why is a relatively new attorney (8 years experience as compared to Risley's 16 years) with no municipal experience being hired at $22K MORE then was paid to Mr. Risley?
I remember watching the charter review meetings and hearing how municipal law is so very different then other disciplines (this was stated by a former council member who is also an attorney). This same person stated that there were no qualified attorneys in Victoria to step into that position (this was his argument against having the city attorney elected). If what he and the mayor (and several others) were stating as fact in January, no one in Victoria qualified, how did we get from there to hiring a local attorney with no related experience for more money then was paid to a "long time" city employee? [These comments are in no way meant to be derogatory toward Mr. Gwosdz, his abilities or his experience, my concerns are how the story has changed from January to now]
I think there was an agenda item, after the hiring of the attorney, to retain Mr. Hyde's firm as "special council". Is Mr. Hyde going to be the "attorney behind the attorney"? Are we hiring a less experienced attorney for more money and also paying a law firm to continue to represent the city? Paying more for less should not be the way city business is conducted. I hope this situation is not near as questionable as it appears on the surface.
September 17, 2009 at 7:40 p.m.Wonder if he's related to Mike?
September 15, 2009 at 10:13 p.m.VICTORIA ISD Legal Services -- 02-03, $123,764; 04-05,$191,549; 06-07$120,554, $8.80 per student @ 13,704 students in 06-07.
for grins if someone threw me a isd's name which Gwosdz may have represented, numbers could be made available. give a couple of names if so be. any takers??
September 15, 2009 at 9:14 p.m.Hey, Chucky got a BIG raise, now they want to hire some un-experienced person for the attorney job instead of Houston who has WAY more experience. And, pay him $22,000 more that the last guy,(who couldn,t stand the heat).
September 15, 2009 at 6:04 p.m.I tell you what folks, we better get these peoples attention and let them know WHO votes them into office.
They need to wake up and hear the people...
OH BOY, NOT AGAIN?
September 15, 2009 at 4:59 p.m.the writer states,
"Gwosdz would make $125,000 a year, which compares to the $103,000 a year Risley made."
WHAT...that does compare maybe to 105 and 100 or even $110,000 but at $125,000--is the writer making a statement for a COV Official or is he editorializing his story???
The guy isn't even knowledge in municipal law!!! Boy, I am going to have fun watching ch.15. Also is there some "back scratching" with this candidate with no experience who receives $22,000 increase in salary.
September 15, 2009 at 4:09 p.m.Texas Bar site shows this gentleman licensed as attorney for 8 years. He says he has NO municipal law experience. $125K....
Mr. Houston licensed as attorney for 33 years, but passed over by the same committee members that gave us Chief Ure... Oh that's right, age and experience just might make him too independant for this gang.
Mr. Gwoszd says "representing school districts" kinda like representing municipalities. Hmmm, doesn't Mayor Will's son-in-law, Attorney Clay Cain, represent school districts??? No connection???
Article gave me food for thought... how about you?
We are apparently doomed to remain the colonic bend of Texas forever, I'm afraid.
September 15, 2009 at 2:35 p.m.Hey all that ruckus from the CFRG really saved the city some money didn't they.
September 15, 2009 at 1:18 p.m.Armstrong and his cohorts had to keep it local so they could push their agenda
September 15, 2009 at 10:51 a.m.When Miles Risley left, Mayor Armstrong blasted the group who was proposing city charter changes, saying Risley's departure was their fault and that the city would never be able to find another qualified person for the job.
Now, after paying for a search company, two "well qualified" candidates (in Armstrong's own words) are found...right here in Victoria...AND we are going to pay the new attorney $22,000 MORE than Risley!!!
ARRMSTRONG AND HIS COHORTS ON THE COUNCIL HAVE GOT TO GO.
September 15, 2009 at 6:31 a.m.