09/02/2026
Good Morning Crystal City, as we have entered the month of September as your Councilwoman I have stayed preoccupied as the City is preparing to close out our financial fiscal year. Clearly the biggest task is the City's finances.
In the past 2 1/2 years of being in the council, every decision I have made has for the most part always been an easy one, as I always think of what is best for the community. Now for our upcoming monthly City Council meeting on September 15th there will be an action item that needs voting and I want to ask my constituents for their opinions; because when I decided to run I stated I would be your voice and in this particular action item I am conflicted.
The action item that I'm referring to, that is barely being put on the agenda for September is for the approval of city property to host the Crystal City Festival Association Festival AKA Spinach Festival. The reason for my conflicting thoughts is because of how the 2025 festival ended. While I personally am all for events, festivities and live entertainment as a Councilwoman I have to think of the greater good of the community and the City. What most know as a Spinach Festival is legally named Crystal City Festival Association and many believe that the festival is a City event such as the Independence Day, but for clarity it is not. There are many factors as to why I personally believe the festival has not been functioning successfully , but I will keep my personal opinions to myself and just speak facts.
Fact #1 the festival association still owes last year's vendors (locals & out of town) money totaling almost over $23,000. When there is a title that states Crystal City Festival Association- once again that is negatively showcasing the city’s name. The City does NOT owe these vendors, the festival does!
Fact #2 The festival association still owes locals that had purchased add spots that never came to rotation that was later supposed to be a calendar which also did not come to be.
Fact #3 While the city has its duties of maintaining our community last year City provided employees for multiple days to be out there in preparation for the festival, those employees we're paid with city funds with no type of reimbursement from the association.
Fact #4 all the vendors that pay the association a price to be a part of the festivities use water and power all coming from the city (except for production- they bring a generator)**** Correction/update-Festival has their own meters connected CPS and water is paid by a peddler's $10 fee; hasn't currently been paid***
Fact #5- an electrical pole was damaged last year by a vendor, who will pay for the repairs
Fact #6 the 2024 spinach festival GRAND TOTAL was $824.90
Additional info-
-The festival association consists of 6 representatives- City, County ,School, two business owners and used to be Del Monte then became PFS representatives. How many members are active?
-At the start of the festival one of the main goals was for it to be a scholarship foundation how many scholarships were given out last year and have they all been paid off completely?
-Some organizations get pay for their services while others do not.
I've made some estimations on my own to see what having this festival actually costs the City itself, these are the items that I estimated & calculated from..
* staff that sets up the perimeter (FYI the city owns half of fence and the association the other half this was bought many years back, but city solely puts it up)
* last year there was 4 city employees out there working for three days
* expenses for the opening ceremony
*extra patrol duties
*water usage for four days with no billing, power usage no billing, if something happens to the power or the water a city employee has to be out there on overtime to regulate
*clean up after parade
*trash disposal
*clean up after the event ***Correction/Update County Inmates clean up the fairgrounds area
While the city does get tax revenue from the hotel and motel funds, think 3 motels, x amount of rooms, 4 days, cents per the dollar, is it worth it?
I will conclude by asking YOU, which way I should vote, to approve the festival permission for the downtown area or vote against? For clarity….this is JUST MY VOTE- I can’t speak for the rest of the council.
Can the City afford to approve the Spinach Festival and take on those expenses?
Thank you for your thoughts,
Mayor Pro-Tem Andralin Marquez
