"By Andrew Stuart
Staff writer

    "Brewster County Judge Val Beard weighed in this week on the efforts by some Alpine city council members to fire City Manager Karen Philippi and about Alpine city government more generally, describing the current functioning of the city government as the worst she has seen in more than 30 years of living in Brewster County.

    Beard said in an interview Monday (Jan. 17) that she chose to voice her concerns about matters at the city because of a column by council member Avinash Rangra that appeared in the Jan. 13 issue of The Desert-Mountain Times. Beard said the column misrepresented Philippi’s efforts and achievements and failed to “give credit where credit is due.”

    “There are some management things that are being taken care of for the first time in years,” Beard said, “and no credit’s being given for that.”

    She was particularly concerned, she said, by “Dr. Rangra’s assertion that the city manager was not responsible for getting the city back in the grant game.”

    “I disagree with that completely,” she said. “That was one of the first things (Philippi) asked about when she got here. As nearly as I can tell, she’s pursued everything we talked about – and more.”

    In his column, Rangra said that Jake Brisbin, executive director of the Rio Grande Council of Governments, should be given credit for securing a $260,000 Community Development Block Grant for Alpine, because Brisbin had informed the council about the grant opportunity.

    But Brisbin said Tuesday that he had made the presentation to the council at the request of Philippi and Beard.

    “The truth is that Karen Philippi and Judge Beard recommended that I come out there,” Brisbin said, “and they did that because they’re good public officials.”

    Beard pointed to Philippi’s efforts to secure a $4.8-million, zero-interest loan from the Texas Water Development Board to address long-overdue water-pressure problems on Alpine’s south side, as well as the city’s long-term water needs.

    “A zero-percent loan is, in effect, almost a grant,” she said.

    While some have described Philippi as a “big-city” type who doesn’t understand how to manage a small town, Beard said Philippi understands the challenges faced by rural communities with limited economic resources.

    “She understands limited resources,” Beard said, “and she’s got the basic skills.”  
 
    While Philippi is “tough,” “independent” and “blunt,” Beard said, it is not the city manager’s job to be a deft politician, but to work aggressively to address the priorities identified by the city council.

    Beard said that while council members are charged with overseeing the city’s finances, they must also be willing to give a city manager the ability to run day-to-day operations and to pursue the council’s priorities.

    “They’re making it a lot harder than it needs to be,” she said, “because they’re getting into things they don’t need to get into in that form of government.”

    The council recently voted to place a charter-amendment measure on the ballot in May that, if approved by voters, would greatly limit the city manager from moving budgeted funds from one line item to another within a single department. Beard said the measure was too constrictive, noting that county department heads can make line-item transfers.

    “They want to micro-manage, and they don’t know how to manage,” she said of the city council. “Are they going to meet five days a week? You have to establish a financial policy and see that your CFO or city manager executes the policy.”

    “This is the absolute low point,” Beard said. “The problems started well before, but it’s gotten worse and worse. It’s got to stop.”

    Beard said that operations at the city council are hindered by a fundamental lack of civility, an atmosphere of acrimony in which elected officials with disagreements and concerns are unable to treat one another and city staff with respect.

    “You can function without unanimity,” she said. “But you can’t function without civility and respect.”

    That lack of respect, she said, extends to the attitude of some council members toward their constituents.

    “You shouldn’t be in public office unless you have respect for your constituents,” she said.  “There are some folks in the council that don’t respect their constituents.”

    The atmosphere of mistrust, Beard said, also creates an unfair assumption that all city employees are “lazy and corrupt,” simply because they are public employees.

    Beard said the inability of the Alpine city council to work effectively with a city manager and its failure to pursue consistent policies are impacting the other government entities in the region.

    “Alpine is part of a region,” she said, “and because of the actions of the city council, Alpine has lost credibility in the region. And that costs all of us.”

    She said the city council’s inability to work effectively will discourage new businesses from moving to Alpine, which affects all the taxing entities, including the county and Alpine ISD.

    “Ultimately what it’s going to do is affect the tax base,” she said. “If you’re a small business and you read the local newspapers, you have to ask, ‘Do I want to get involved with that? Do I want to relocate there?’”

    Alpine ISD Supt. Mike Davis said the council’s behavior also discourages families from moving to the area.

    “The negativity of the council as it works together has influence as to whether people want to be part of our community,” Davis said. “As long as there is turmoil on the council, it keeps families from moving into the area.”

    In the long-run, the in-fighting and dysfunction at city hall threaten Alpine’s ability to secure state and federal funds for vital city projects, Beard warned.

    “If this keeps on, they aren’t going to get loans, and they aren’t going to get grants,” she said, “because they lack credibility. The agencies that administer grant funds want to see a track record – you’re not going to give funds to a three-ring circus.”

    Beard said Alpine deserves a city council that can work together to advance a positive vision of the city’s future.

    “Look at this place! Everybody wants to be here,” she said. “We’ve got such great assets, and we need a great city council. The county needs a partner, but you can’t work with a partner that won’t stay hitched on issues.” "
February 1, 2007