GALENA PARK — Newly installed Mayor Oscar Mireles says his first days in office have revealed a city government in urgent need of review, but he says his administration will focus on stabilizing operations, improving public safety and opening City Hall to more public input.
Mireles defeated longtime Mayor Esmeralda Moya in the May 2 election and took office after a tense transition that drew regional media attention and questions about records, staffing and the condition of city operations. Recent local reporting described a disputed and highly public changeover at City Hall following Mireles’ win.
The swearing-in ceremony nearly did not happen after mayor Moya was unexpectedly unable to attend.
According to those involved, “at around 5:35… [they were told] the mayor called… she had a family emergency and she’s not going to be able to make it,” leaving organizers scrambling with less than half an hour to figure out a solution.
Faced with the possibility of canceling in front of a large crowd and media presence, organizers weighed their options.
“I said, you know what? We have 25 minutes. Let’s see what happens,” Mireles recalled.
Without the mayor present, the ceremony required at least two commissioners to proceed. At first, it appeared that quorum would not be reached. Organizers worked the phones in a last-minute effort to secure attendance. As time ran out—“it was 5:59”—they were on the verge of calling it off. “I was about to walk out the door to tell people that it wasn’t going to happen,” Mireles said.
At the last moment, word came that help was on the way. “Hold on, hold on. He’s (the last commissioner) coming. Give it 10 minutes,” he was told.
With that, organizers delayed the start and informed the crowd the mayor would not attend but asked for more time.
The plan ultimately held. By 6:15 p.m., enough commissioners had arrived, and they narrowly avoided a failed ceremony.
Among the first policy issues on his desk is the city’s discounted water billing for senior residents. Mireles said the city will revisit the program rather than automatically continue a flat $34 rate, arguing that Houston’s wholesale rate changes could make the current discount unsustainable. Complicating the issue, the city of Houston raised water rates this month they charge to the city of Galena Park.
“We’re going to have to revisit that,” he said. “We’re going to have to look at it and really crunch the numbers.” He added that while seniors “do deserve a discount,” he does not yet believe it can remain “that deep of a discount.”
“I think most people realize it was probably a ploy for re-election. That was another reason that I asked people to wait on paying it because we were learning how many people got the discount and how many people didn’t,” Mireles said alleging her supporters were the ones receiving the discount and not all seniors.
Mireles said his administration intends to pursue both a financial audit and a forensic review of city systems to determine the city’s fiscal position and whether any records or equipment are missing. He said the city cannot afford to delay a clearer accounting of its books, especially if it hopes to regain access to grant funding and make informed decisions about staffing and services.
“I don’t know all of what’s missing, but you know, we’ll figure it out,” he said.
Some of the pettiness included missing keys, no passwords for key city systems and the outdoor sign.
On Thursday morning, Mireles met with department heads and received some revealing information on the state of their work.
Another issue facing Mireles is the discovery of how many employees have quit in the past and what positions are open for filling and if he has the finances to replace them. The former city attorney is one of those who quit their position with the city. Mireles is already in the process of hiring a new city attorney and the first thing Thursday morning, the IT firm was already at city hall assisting with new passwords and documenting any potential nefarious activity.
Public safety is also central to his early agenda. Mireles said he wants to reevaluate spending in the police department, particularly at the leadership level, and shift attention toward patrol presence and prevention. He criticized the city’s reliance on rented camera trailers near a park that has seen repeated violence, saying the city needs a broader strategy than simply monitoring the same trouble spots.
For Mireles, that broader strategy starts with youth programs and public gathering spaces.
“We need to open up the community centers,” he said. “We need to make sure that we give them an opportunity to do something.” He argued that keeping community centers active could help reduce problems at the park by giving young people a place to go after school and before parents get home.
Mireles also said he wants a more visible and accessible city government. He said he plans to encourage wider community discussion outside formal meetings and wants city business broadcast live on social media so residents who cannot attend in person can still follow decisions.
“I want to make sure that everything is live broadcasted on social media,” he said, adding that residents should have more chances to share concerns and ideas about issues ranging from street lighting to pedestrian safety.
Even as questions linger from the transition, Mireles said he does not want to remain focused on the past.
“Everybody’s just ready for change and we want to move forward,” he said. “I’m not going to dwell on the past. I’ll give it a little bit of attention, but we need to focus on the future.”
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