La Villa mayor, alderman up for re-election

LA VILLA - City residents are soon set to decide whether to keep Mayor René Castillo and Alderman Juan Manuel Castro in office.

Castillo, 38, faces Hector Elizondo, 59, and Carlos Perez, 41, for La Villa's helm.

Castro, 47, faces challenger Diana Diaz.

Early voting is scheduled to run April 28 to May 6. Election Day is May 10.

Mayor

An accountant in his private time, Castillo was first elected mayor in 2006.

A little more than a year ago, questions arose over whether Castillo resided within city limits. The allegations eventually resulted in a restraining order barring him from one city council meeting, but no action to remove him was ever taken, and Castillo said no one ever proved he lived outside the limits.

He said, if re-elected, his main focus would be to stake checks and balances within the city on its spending.

"Our main focus is trying to get the audits in place so that we can go after some grants and some other opportunities that are out there," he said. "We need to have some audits in place so we can go after that kind of money."

Elizondo, a retired school principal from the Weslaco school district, was mayor of La Villa from 1976 to 1990.

Now that he is retired, he said, he can dedicate himself full time to the mayor's office. He said he wants to ensure federal urban county money is back in the city's control, after Hidalgo County took over the funding last fall because the city didn't turn in a required audit in time.

"I feel that I can do better since I'm retired now. I have more time to dedicate to the city, and the other people are good people, but it is just they don't have any time."

Perez is a claims investigator and could not be reached for comment.

Alderman

Castro was first elected as place 5 alderman in 2002.

He said he wants to continue commercial growth in the city by talking to state and federal legislators about helping bring in an industrial park.

"We don't have that much money, but with the little bit that we have we are trying to better the community," he said.

Diaz, who served on the La Villa school board from 2001 to 2006, said she decided to run for city council for the first time because she believes she can help the other council members.

"I am from this community and I feel the community has a need for some help and I feel that working with the other people who are on council I can help out in those areas that are needed," she said. "I think I would be able to help with our financial situation."

Incumbent Place 4 Alderman Edward Garcia is running unopposed.

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Jackie Leatherman covers Hidalgo County government and general assignments at The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4424.