THE SMALL CITY OF ELSA IN THE Southeast tip of Texas is in turmoil this weekend after the city administrator fired the Fire Chief and re-hired his predecessor.

Former chief Rudy Martinez says that he was fired unfairly Friday after being accused of financial wrong-doing.  The administrator says that Martinez took out a loan in the city’s name for a new fire truck without permission.

Martinez is now displaying the purchase order for the truck that was issued by the city and signed by the previous administrator.  The current administrator says that he’s never seen the document, but claims the firing followed an audit of the fire department.  However, he is unable to produce this audit for examination by the press or citizens.

Compounding the questionable firing, the city administrator then appointed the city’s former fire chief, Gregorio Ramirez to fill the post.  The last time he was chief eight years ago, Ramirez was indicted for taking fire department money and using it for personal reasons.  The charges were later dropped, but the court of public opinion has kept the case alive.

KRGV-TV in Weslaco has the story and video about the firing HERE,
and the report on the re-hiring HERE.

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