Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez Tentatively Appointed as Mayor Pro Tem

Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez was appointed as the new Mayor Pro Tem on July 9, 2024.

Newly elected Councilperson, Carmen Gutierrez was tentatively appointed as the City of Del Rio’s Mayor Pro Tem in a 3-2 vote during Tuesday, July 9th’s City Council Meeting. 

The appointment of a new Mayor Pro Tem appeared on the agenda following the citizen’s and mayor’s comment portion of the meeting with two council members raising motions for their nominations for the position. 

The first motion was raised by Councilperson JP Sanchez nominating District II Councilperson, James DeReus. “Mayor, I’d like to nominate Mr. DeReus, he’s a senior councilman here amongst us and he also stepped in when Mr. Webb was out and he did an excellent job,” Councilperson Sanchez stated. “I think he’d be great for the position as Pro Tem.” 

The council took a vote on the motion for Councilperson DeReus with two votes in favor from Councilperson JP Sanchez and Councilperson Randy Quinones, three opposed: Mayor Al Arreola, Councilperson Tina Martinez, and Councilperson Jesus Lopez, Jr. Councilpersons De Reus and Carmen Gutierrez abstained from the vote. 

A second motion was made by Councilperson Jesus Lopez, Jr nominating Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez for the Pro Tem position. “I feel that she’s a leader in a lot of community services,” Councilperson Lopez stated. “I think she’d be available in a lot more business and represent the city in the mayor’s absence.” 

Upon voting on the motion for Councilperson Gutierrez, three members of the council voted in favor: Councilperson Tina Martinez, Councilperson Jesus Lopez, Jr, and Mayor Al Arreola. Those opposed: Councilperson JP Sanchez and Councilperson Randy Quinones. Councilperson James DeReus and Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez abstained from the vote. 

With three votes in favor and two against, Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez was appointed as the Mayor Pro Tem, replacing former Councilperson Steven Webb in a majority vote.

There were concerns raised about whether a majority vote or Robert’s Rules of Order, (requiring four votes for a motion to pass) would be enacted here, prompting the motion to be possibly revisited at a future meeting.

Connect Del Rio will continue to follow this story.

This journalist can be reached at alondra.sanchez@connectdelrio.com