The details
At a Dec. 10 regular meeting, Bastrop City Council voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Bojorquez and the Bojorquez Law Firm, as recommended by city staff. The council also directed City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino to coordinate the transition of services, according to city documents.
In Bojorquez’s resignation letter obtained by Community Impact, he said it has been an honor to serve as a “steady, stabilizing influence” in Bastrop during a period of “tremendous” change, including five city managers, four chiefs of police, three judges, three mayors pro-tem and two mayors—but he is hoping the city can benefit from different legal representation.
“Our firm made serving the city organization a top priority,” Bojorquez told Community Impact in an interview. “But when City Hall is 'a house divided,' it poses unique ethical challenges for a city attorney.”
The discussion
Bojorquez said during the meeting that serving Bastrop over the last seven years has been a highlight of his career, and he is proud of his work while fulfilling the role.
“I think we're at a point to where the relationship has sort of run its course, and perhaps it's time for y'all to have some new representation, and I'll go off and serve other communities and let y'all recruit someone new to guide you,” Bojorquez said.
Council members and Mayor Lyle Nelson thanked Bojorquez for his service before moving to the next agenda item.
The council met in a closed executive session to discuss the appointment of an interim city attorney; however, no action was taken when council members returned to open session.
The background
Bojorquez took on his role with Bastrop in 2017. He is the founder and managing attorney of Texas Municipal Law, an organization that offers legal services to cities throughout the state through a team of attorneys, according to the website.
“While we continue to have confidence in our expertise as municipal lawyers, Bastrop is engaged in a transition that is best left to proceed without my staff’s involvement—and without me overseeing your legal matters,” the resignation letter states. “Empowering Bastrop to govern responsibly has motivated our team to uniformly give you our very best. However, the time has come to redirect our energies and allow you the opportunity to continue upon your trajectory without us.”
Notable quote
“I remain very fond of the Bastrop community,” Bojorquez told Community Impact. “I wish my successor the best of luck and hope they will serve the city to the highest professional standards.”
