Contracts for communication services – largely for the water department and upcoming bond and sales tax initiatives – won’t be in the city of Corpus Christi’s immediate future.
In a split vote, the City Council on Tuesday shot down the proposal that would have allocated as much as $960,000 for an education and communication campaign that would have focused, in part, on sales tax and bond initiatives planned for the November ballot, as well as about $1.5 million for a water marketing and communication campaign which would have included desalination endeavors.
Some councilmembers who voted against the proposal – which would have awarded the two contracts to local firm MDR advertising – referenced an impending city budget leaner than the year prior, along with questions about necessity for additional communications costs.
Ramped up communications services are needed, said Mayor Paulette Guajardo, but added that she had financial concerns.
“I don’t know that… at this juncture, this expenditure is appropriate,” Guajardo said, citing the 2025 fiscal year budget. “We’re looking at making cuts across all 29 departments right now.”
Many residents don’t understand big city projects, such as pursuing a desalination plant, said City Councilman Mike Pusley.
He added that there is little information communicated about the city’s work in helping children, the homeless, the elderly and veterans. The contracted services could change that perception, Pusley said.
“I’m tired of going down the street and having people stop and tell me that the city of Corpus Christi sucks,” he said. “I want to be able to go down the street and (people) say, ‘You know what, you guys are doing a pretty good job – you’re not perfect, but you’re doing a pretty good job at a lot of things.’”
The proposed $1.5 million contract for the water department – which would have in its scope covered educational information related to water supply projects and desalination, as well as messaging about conservation and environmental sustainability – included as much as $1.2 million in media ad buys, according to city documents.
The pitched $960,000 contract for education and communication campaign – which would have involved, among other items, information about the 2024 ballot initiatives – would have included about $750,000 in media ad buys, the city’s records show.
City Councilman Roland Barrera suggested approving both contracts without the built-in media allowances to secure the professional services, with the intent that the company could return later with a recommended media ad budget that the council could then decide.
The combined professional services contracts, without the media allowances, would have amounted to about $450,000.
Services would have included “consulting, planning, strategy development and implementation of initiatives and programs across the city,” according to an agenda memo.
The proposal failed in a 5-8 vote, with Guajardo and councilmembers Gil Hernandez, Jim Klein, Michael Hunter and Sylvia Campos voting against.
Pusley, Barrera and City Councilmen Everett Roy and Dan Suckley voted in favor.
The original proposal that had included the media allowances subsequently failed in a 6-3 vote, with Suckley, Hernandez, Klein, Hunter, Guajardo and Campos voting against, and Roy, Pusley and Barrera in favor.
More: The city set a $1.5 million budget for a water education campaign. Here's what critics say
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: City Council rejects contracts to educate on bond and tax initiatives, water
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