(Seguin) — The City of Seguin is saying goodbye to a longtime member of its leadership team.
Deputy City Manager Rick Cortes is officially retiring. He was recognized during Tuesday’s Seguin City Council meeting.
Mayor Donna Dodgen says Cortes has been a fixture at City Hall for nearly two decades.
“Rick began working for the City of Seguin on September 5, 2006, as the assistant city manager. On October 4, 2020, his position was upgraded to Deputy City Manager. He will retire from the city of Seguin on February 28, 2026, with a total of 19 years and five months of service with the city, and with over 40 years in public service,” said Dodgen.
Dodgen says Cortes played a critical role during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, helping the city avoid costly rate increases.
“He saved our city a whole lot of money. In fact, we made money when other electrical entities and other entities went out of business or had to raise their rates. And we didn’t have to do that. And the citizens had no clue about any of that. They have no clue about how he’s managed and helped with keeping our rates the way that they are,” said Dodgen.
Cortes thanked former City Manager Doug Faseler for hiring him and current City Manager Steve Parker for his leadership.
“I was going to probably retire two years ago, but Steve made it so welcoming that I said, ‘okay, one more year.’ Then for one more year that I kept thinking, I think it’s time to go, even though I think I could stay two or three years working with Steve. So, after 30 years, you think you know everything. But working with Doug, I learned things from Doug. He was a mentor, even though we’ve worked in this business for a long time. And Steve’s (also) been a mentor. I’ve learned things from Steve. So, we’re never too old to learn things from everybody else,” said Cortes.
Parker praised Cortes as a steady partner who brought a unique perspective to city operations.
“Many a time, I’ve been kind of at a crossroads of what I should do, and I’ve thought about going the other direction, and Rick just had a way of coming in and saying, ‘Steve, do you think about this, and this?’ And I’m like ‘you know what? I think that’s a great idea. Let’s run with it. We’ll see what happens.’ He has that same mentality with all his staff. And so, we’re able to get a lot done with a little bit. This team really does value you. You’re going to be a big hole to fill. But we appreciate you because you always, no matter what we argued about or discussed. You always had the best interests of the city. You are one of the shrewdest negotiators I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, and we’ve got a lot of great deals (done) because of you and the way you’ve thought about all the possible outcomes. So, thank you for being sometimes that Negative Nelly that we all needed to make sure that we thought about the best possible outcomes that could happen for our community,” said Parker.
The city has begun the process of finding a replacement. Cortes is expected to officially step down at the end of this month.