Uvalde’s mayor, state senator say victims relief center providing ‘meager’ benefits

AUSTIN — Uvalde’s mayor and its state senator say a one-stop resiliency center created to provide aid to victims’ families in the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting is failing to provide adequate aid and should be taken over by the state.

The accusation came in a letter from Sen. Roland Gutierrez and Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to remove Uvalde’s district attorney from oversight of the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center.

They said in a letter to the governor’s office that the center has only provided “meager” benefits in the form of two-weeks of bereavement pay to the families of the 19 children and two teachers killed in the May 24 shooting.

“This, simply, is insufficient,” the letter states. “These families cannot begin to heal unless they are given time to grieve free from financial worry.”

Abbott announced the creation of the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center on June 6 and funded it with $5 million from the Governor’s Public Safety Office.

The center was created to be a one-stop shop for victims’ families and suffering community members with services including mental health resources, assistance with insurance forms and other aid. DA Christina Mitchell Busbee’s office was tasked with running the multi-agency effort.

But in a news release, Gutierrez’ office said the Texas Department of Emergency Management should take over its operation because Busbee’s office lacks resources and staff.

Busbee did not immediately return a phone message and email seeking comment.

On Thursday, Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze did not indicate that Abbott would take any action in light of the complaints and said the $5 million from the governor’s office was given to Uvalde County.

“The Governor will support whoever local officials designate as project director of the UTRC,” Eze said. “Governor Abbott and his office will continue working with state and local leaders to support the Uvalde community and provide all available resources as they heal.”

Gutierrez said he has spoken with victims’ families members who were already on the edge of poverty but now face financial distress over hospital bills. The letter mentioned a family who was threatened with having their electricity shut off while their child was being treated in a hospital.

“My constituents have told me that they are faced with dire financial demands and they are desperate for help. But, little help has been provided,” Gutierrez said.

Their demand comes as local political strife has continued to grow in aftermath of the shooting. Gutierrez has criticized Busbee after she shut down his attempts to provide the names of the officers who were in the classroom hallways of the school for more than 70 minutes while the gunman remained with injured children.

At a meeting of the Uvalde City Council last week, McLaughlin said council members might be prosecuted if they release any new information about the shooting. McLaughlin cited two letters from Busbee’s office and the Texas Department of Public Safety requesting all public records be withheld from disclosure because of ongoing investigations.

Uvalde City Council meetings have in part become public venting forums for victims’ family members and other community members seeking answers to questions that continue to swirl around the appearance of a botched police response to the shooting.

Police experts have said decisions from Uvalde ISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo cost lives. Arredondo has been suspended from the police department and resigned from the City Council on Friday.