ODESSA, Texas —
Odessa Mayor Javier Joven released a statement Wednesday addressing allegations he said have been made about him and setting a date for a community discussion.
Joven invited members of the public to meet him for coffee Saturday from 9-10 a.m. at Mi Casa, located at 1301 N. County Rd. in Odessa.
The event is an opportunity to discuss current topics, projects and opportunities in the city.
Joven also took time to deny criticisms that he said some people have made of him regarding the recent firings of the city manager and city attorney.
He said that despite what some think, he has no interest in taking the role of city manager himself.
See below to read his full take on the situation:
“From the desk of the Mayor:
I would like to thank the residents of Odesa for their patience over the last month. A lot of things have unfolded very quickly, and I wanted to check-in and clarify a couple of points.
There have been allegations made about my personal intentions in regards to the management of the City. At no point have I ever expressed an interest in being appointed to any position within the City - up to and including the role of City Manager. My commitment is, and will remain, to serve the City of Odessa as its elected Mayor. As your Mayor, I voluntarily swore to abide by the guidelines set forth by the Odessa City Charter which specifies our current "strong city manager" structure.
As Mayor, and a voting member of your City Council, it is my/our responsibility to ensure that all appointees are held to the highest standards. Council relies heavily on the city manager and other appointees to provide complete and objective information to the entire Council - not just certain members. In a council-manager form of government communication and understanding between elected and appointed officials is a necessity. Council should not have to beg or dig to determine the financial health of the City or question if personnel polices are being enforced. Left unchecked, these types of situations can severely degrade the culture of an organization and set our City up for failure.
I am committed to serving the citizens of Odessa and look forward to continuing to move forward together.”