ROBSTOWN, Texas — KRIS 6 News spoke one-on-one with Robstown’s new mayor-elect Mary Ann Saenz about her plans for the city. Saenz is a longtime educator and former city council member.
Mary Ann Saenz won against incumbent Mayor David "Petey" Martinez in Saturday's runoff election, winning by just 13 votes. Overall, there were 1,083 total ballots cast in Robstown.
The narrow victory puts Saenz in a position to address key concerns residents have raised about their city.
"A little bit of everything, you know. Fix up the streets, support the community, anything that actually helps out," one Robstown resident said when asked about desired changes for the city.
Another neighbor, Adelina Herrera, echoed similar concerns about infrastructure needs.
"A lot of streets need fixing, like roads around here, 'cause there's a lot of bumps," Herrera said.
However, not all residents were aware of the leadership change taking place in their community.
"I didn't even know we had a new mayor," Herrera said.
Saenz plans to tackle utility affordability as one of her priorities in office.
"To work with the utility department, to definitely work with the utility board. Find ways of making it more affordable for our citizens and businesses that are gonna come in. We need to attract businesses, and one of the problems that they always say is that the electricity bill is so high," Saenz said.
The mayor-elect also acknowledges Robstown faces serious infrastructure challenges and plans to pursue grants for necessary road repairs.
“Finding an entity that can help us with those grants because they're not easy to write,” Saenz said.
Saenz clarified misconceptions surrounding her appointment as Robstown’s next mayor.
“People are under the wrong impression that I want to fire everyone, but I don't. Two years is not enough time to start from scratch. But my standards are very high. My expectations are high,” said Saenz.
She said her goal is to work alongside city departments, not take from them, but provide the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.
With nearly four decades of experience as a special education teacher in Robstown, Saenz says she will continue teaching while serving as mayor. Saenz also serves as a member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and was chosen to participate in the Texas Education Agency (TEA) assessment for the STAAR biology test.
Some residents have questioned whether Saenz can balance her role as an educator while serving as mayor, but she acknowledged that although the position is technically part-time, it requires full-time commitment. Even as a council member, she worked evenings and weekends addressing city issues, and she said she is confident her experience and dedication will allow her to successfully balance both roles.
Saenz said she is committed to being available at City Hall during afternoon hours when residents are off work and emphasized her collaborative approach to leading the city.
"Tell me what you envision Robstown to be, because it's for all of us—not just me or the council. It's for our kids, our grandkids, generations to come. That's what I want to preserve and improve," Saenz said.
Saenz will be officially sworn in on Wednesday at 6 p.m. during the city council meeting.
