TAFT, Texas — Taft Quality and Improvement Corporation (TQIC) President Manuel Espinoza will have the opportunity to share his perspective on the June 3 scuffle after the City Council decided to take no action on his removal.
The council’s original vote on June 17 was delayed because Mayor Leonard Vasquez was not present for the discussion.
On Tuesday, Vasquez attended the meeting and told the council he had spoken with Espinoza following the June 3 incident. According to Vasquez, Espinoza said he planned to resign once a current TQIC project is complete.
“He wanted to finish the project, that road project that they wanted to do,” Vasquez said. He continued, “If we’re going to follow policies and if we’re going to, hey, react when somebody says something or something happens and this and that—but we’re all under the same laws, rules, regulations that we have in the City of Taft.”
During the June 3 regular meeting, TQIC Board President Manuel Espinoza attended to discuss items related to the board he represents. Shortly after the council left the building for an executive session, Espinoza and resident Marcus Adams began shouting at each other. The argument escalated to the point where several Taft residents stepped between the two men. Adams was taken outside, while Espinoza remained indoors.
For the sake of transparency, KRIS 6’s cameras were not rolling when the argument began and could not determine who initiated the scuffle.
Espinoza returned to his seat but soon got into another argument—this time with San Patricio County Precinct 8 Constable and former Taft police officer Sgt. J.P. Easley. The two men argued outside the Kiva Hut, where other residents again had to hold Espinoza back.
Mayor Pro Tem Elida Castillo placed the item regarding Espinoza on the agenda.
“It may have been instigated or not, but this is a person who represents the city,” Castillo said. “I know it’s difficult to brush things off, but when you are representing the city, you have to hold yourself to a higher regard. And at that meeting, he was representing the City of Taft because he spoke on behalf of TQIC.”
“I appreciate his service to this country, and I appreciate the service he’s given to the community of Taft, but at the same time, I think it is time that we adhere to certain standards that we want people to follow.”
Not all council members supported Espinoza’s removal. Council members Chris Keeney, Alonzo Molina and Isiah Garza expressed their support for him.
“You get the same individuals that continue to pick, pick and stab and hurt. At what point is enough enough, Mr. Mayor?” Garza asked. “I get it, we have to be held accountable for our actions, but so does everybody else in this room.”
Councilman Molina called what he’s heard of the June 3 incident “hearsay.”
“You weren’t there, and you got one side of the story. And then we say, ‘Well, we’re looking at the data itself,’” Molina said.
“I do not agree with hurting people and punching people that come and try to better our community. If we do this, that sets the standard for anybody in this room to come pick, pick, pick and get their way,” Garza added. “We go back to the same individuals that have been fighting for a decade, since I was in high school. It’s the same ones on the news, the same ones picking the fights, the same ones still in the city.”
Keeney echoed Garza’s sentiment.
“What happens if we do something like this? It just emboldens that segment, ‘Hey, this works. We come in and we blow everything up,’” Keeney said. “We’re performing a volunteer act as a city government, and we should get more respect for that, Mr. Garza, and unfortunately, we do not.”
The council expects Espinoza to speak on his proposed resignation and more at its next regular meeting, scheduled for July 15.
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