Xavier Aguilar 
BROWNSVILLE – After the Tenaska audit, the Brownsville Public Utilities Board is looking at how money from a failed project will go back to its ratepayers.
The BPUB finance committee held a meeting on October 28 to discuss the Tenaska equity fund account.
During the discussion, details were presented regarding how much money is available in the account along with information on the origin of the funds.
A total of $40 million were collected, 29 million came from BPUB during 2014 to 2016 fiscal year when the alleged construction of the project was taking place.
The remaining 11 million came from the city due to rate hikes.
Gustavo Reyna, the Brownsville resident, gave his opinion on how funds should be allocated.
“If PUB charges for, to tell people that they are going to do something … now if they charge them on their account they should get credit for it now instead of just forgetting about it, ” said Reyna.
In response to the Brownsville Public Utilities Board, the city commissioners passed a moratorium to help residents reduce financial stress during this holiday season, which will grant Brownsville residents temporary relief effective October 25 through February 2023.
Roy De Los Santos, the city commissioner, talked about the need for relief for customers during the holiday season and the importance of reducing the weight on the resident’s shoulders.
“We know that’s a time that can be tough for people because if there are colder temperatures, they’ve got to run their electricity for heat, and sometimes those bills can be higher, but you’ve got the added weight of the expenses related to holidays,” said De Los Santos.
Some of the relief measurements provided by the moratorium are a rollback rate to pre-Tenaska rates by a total of 22 percent, which will take effect December 1.
It will also provide temporary relief for customers who are on delinquent payment or facing disconnection for non-payment.
Along with creating a charter review committee and the appointment of city commission members for a joint sub-committee. The creation of a charter review committee and appointment of city commission members for a joint sub-committee
These committees will help bridge both the city commissioners and the Brownsville public utilities board.
The board is expected to vote on how to redistribute the funds at a later time.
