De La Rosa lands City Manager job

By PETE BANDA  Manuel De La Rosa
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

Almost five months after the sudden passing of former San Benito City Manager Manuel Lara, it seems like the City Commission has finally found their successor. Manuel De La Rosa, who has held the position of City Manager at several different cities, including his last stop in Jonestown, Texas, has been selected for the Commission to be the new “leader of the community.”
De La Rosa was chosen in a 3-2 vote at a City meeting on Thursday and will now enter negotiations with the Commission to work out a new contract. While he has multiple years of experience as a city manager, his last job was actually as the Director of Planning in the City of Kyle. According to those on the Commission, it was the immense experience in virtually every aspect of municipal government that set De La Rosa apart. It’s been reported that De La Rosa has nearly thirty years of experience working in similar positions.

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2015/12/11/de-la-rosa-lands-city-manager-job/

6 comments

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    • Disappointed on December 16, 2015 at 12:12 pm
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    Why aren’t you posting my comment?

    • Disappointed on December 16, 2015 at 8:55 am
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    Who did the background check on this guy? It appears the new City Manager was unemployed and can’t hold a job. He was hired as a City Administrator for less than a year and his last job was a Planning Director at the City of Kyle. No experience as a City Manager. Do we really want San Benito to look like the City of Kyle. The City of Kyle Website pics are ridiculous and the town looks outdated. He probably chose the valley because it was a last resort and he burned his bridges in the suburbs of Austin. He applied at most City’s in the Valley and had not even had so much as an interview by any of them with the exception of San Benito Commisioners that hired him. It is sad that our Commisioners have that little faith in City of San Benitos local talent. It is important in being a City Leader that you know and understand the City of San Benito. They instead chose a man who has no clue what San Benito’s about or the wonderful people that live here. So much for forward progress looks like we are going down a bad path again!

    • Fed up on December 14, 2015 at 6:20 pm
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    Man this guy gets around. It’s one thing to have experience in city government, but it’s another to switch jobs every other year. I don’t think the city commission did thier due diligence. It’s sad that San Benito has auto parts stores, cash loan places, and taquerias on every corner. I give this guy 6 months.

    • Disappointed on December 14, 2015 at 12:57 pm
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    He was also employed by the city of Kyle and Jonestown which you failed to mention for less than 2 years. It appears the new City Manager was unemployed and can’t hold a job. He was hired as a City Administrator for less than a year and his last job was a Planning Director at the City of Kyle. No experience as a City Manager. Do we really want San Benito to look like the City of Kyle. The City of Kyle Website pics are ridiculous and the town looks outdated. He chose the valley because it was a last resort and he burned his bridges in the suburbs of Austin. He applied at most City’s in the Valley and had not even had so much as an interview by any of them with the exception of dumb San Benito Commisioners that hired him. It is sad that our Commisioners have that little faith in City of San Benitos local talent. It is important in being a City Leader that you know and understand the City of San Benito. They instead chose a man who has no clue what San Benito’s about or the wonderful people that live here. So much for forward progress looks like we are going down a bad path again!

    • Paco Rabanne on December 12, 2015 at 6:36 am
    • Reply

    Manuel De La Rosa Jr.
    2yrs 4mo Asst City Administrator, City of Shenandoah
    Bachelors of Political Science
    2yrs 2mo Asst City Adm, Dir. of PW & Com Dev, Shenandoah
    2yrs 1mo Director of PW & Com Dev, City of Shenandoah
    1yr City Administrator/Finance Director, City of Olney
    2yrs 6mo Deputy City Mgr, City of Southside Place
    6yrs 6mo Associate Judge, City of Southside Place
    7yrs Chief of the Fire Dept, City of Southside Place
    7yrs Director of PW, City of Southside Place
    3yrs 5mo Deputy Court Clerk, City of Southside Place
    4mo Telecommunications Officer, City of Southside Place

    • Paco Rabanne on December 12, 2015 at 6:33 am
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    Earlier in he career….has a history of moving around.

    Manuel De La Rosa said that as an “experienced public manager in all aspects of municipal operations, [he] developed business skills and the political acumen to work with citizens, staff, appointed and elected officials.”

    “I am politically astute but apolitical,” he said in his cover letter. “I have the ability to multi-task, make objective decisions, am results-oriented, interact and participate in the community.”

    Most recently, from June 2003 to January 2010, he worked as an assistant city administrator for the City of Shenandoah, which is located in The Woodlands area. Previously, he worked for Association Management Inc., from June 2001 to June 2003, as a community manager/property administrator; for the City of Olney, Texas, from May 2000 to June 2001, as a city administrator; and for the City of Southside Place, from October 1986 to April 2000, as a deputy city manager.

    His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts from the University of St. Thomas; certification as a public manager through Sam Houston State University; completion of a basic economic development course through Texas A&M University; and certification as a project coordinator through Business Retention and Expansion International.

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