JOHN HARVEY
Spanish Music.com
NEWLY ELECTED MAYOR
This article was published Sunday, April 15, 1984, on page 2A
in Laredo Morning Times.
It is published here with permission from Laredo Morning Times.
NEWLY ELECTED ENCINAL MAYOR
OUTLINES PLANS TO IMPROVE TOWN
By Bob McVey
Times staff writer
The new mayor would also like to see more attention to historic preservation in the community and notes that while some buildings have been torn down, "The oldest house in town is still standing there." He says the Encinal City Charter might make it possible to set up a historic district and control development in the town.
He says another priority project will be a careful survey of the city limits because he thinks part of the town that is supposed to be inside the city limits was excluded when the current city map was drawn.
Harvey, and other council members, ran unopposed in an election which saw a total of about 150 votes.
He noted that the city fathers were unable to get votes in absentee voting because the election was combined with the school district in the area and the city races were not included in that ballot.
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He says another priority project will be a careful survey of the city limits because he thinks part of the town that is supposed to be inside the city limits was excluded when the current city map was drawn.
Harvey, and other council members, ran unopposed in an election which saw a total of about 150 votes.
He noted that the city fathers were unable to get votes in absentee voting because the election was combined with the school district in the area and the city races were not included in that ballot.
Back to NEWS
John Harvey, the new mayor of Encinal, says he sees a lot of work to be done in the small community at the northern boundary of Webb County.
Harvey and council members Samuel Bromley, Helen Clapp, Agapito Delgado, Patricia Esparza, Julia Maldonado and Alberto Ochoa were elected last Saturday.
It is the first political venture for the 38-year-old native who moved back to Encinal from San Antonio about seven years ago. The new mayor is a former CBS-Columbia Records recording artist and is now active as a song-writer and song publisher. "I've done a lot of Spanish songs, and have about 20 of them recorded in Mexico by artists there," he notes.
Turning to his new challenge, Harvey says, "I have been thinking about it for the last couple of years, but I was not sure I would be staying in town. Now I have my own recording studio and I know I will be staying."
Saying, "There is lots of work to do here," the new mayor says the city fire department needs to be updated because "the fire truck is very old," he also hopes to secure some type of ambulance service, a health clinic, paved streets, and street signs for the farm and ranch related community.
"Also, we don't have a sewer system right now, everyone uses septic tanks," and he continues the litany of the community's needs to point out there is no police force, "and I would like to have at least one policeman."
Paying for all these improvements is also on Harvey's mind, and he points out that the community has grown to about 900 rather than the 700 listed on the last census. "I want to look into federal grants and see what is available, and the extra population should help in that," he states.
Harvey and council members Samuel Bromley, Helen Clapp, Agapito Delgado, Patricia Esparza, Julia Maldonado and Alberto Ochoa were elected last Saturday.
It is the first political venture for the 38-year-old native who moved back to Encinal from San Antonio about seven years ago. The new mayor is a former CBS-Columbia Records recording artist and is now active as a song-writer and song publisher. "I've done a lot of Spanish songs, and have about 20 of them recorded in Mexico by artists there," he notes.
Turning to his new challenge, Harvey says, "I have been thinking about it for the last couple of years, but I was not sure I would be staying in town. Now I have my own recording studio and I know I will be staying."
Saying, "There is lots of work to do here," the new mayor says the city fire department needs to be updated because "the fire truck is very old," he also hopes to secure some type of ambulance service, a health clinic, paved streets, and street signs for the farm and ranch related community.
"Also, we don't have a sewer system right now, everyone uses septic tanks," and he continues the litany of the community's needs to point out there is no police force, "and I would like to have at least one policeman."
Paying for all these improvements is also on Harvey's mind, and he points out that the community has grown to about 900 rather than the 700 listed on the last census. "I want to look into federal grants and see what is available, and the extra population should help in that," he states.
