A candidate for Rio Grande City commissioner is suing the city after filing several public information requests for documents he says the city is delaying releasing. 

Ediel Barrera said his requests include credit card statements from city commissioners, updates on construction projects, contracts for city employees and checks to city contractors.

The city replied asking for clarification to the requests — which a legal expert says the city can legally do — but Barrera says the response is a delay tactic. 

“They don't want us to know what's going on,” Barrera said, adding that the information in the requests would have helped him build a campaign, and a plan if he was elected into office.  

“Without that information, we just simply speculate on things that we wanna do, but we don't have anything clear,” Barrera said.

Rio Grande City Mayor Joel Villarreal says the lawsuit has “no basis,” adding that the city is happy to process Barrera’s requests once they get what they need. 

“It was not necessary to file any lawsuits,” Villarreal said. “Whenever the city asks you to clarify your request, you simply clarify, and then we'll proceed. The city has always been transparent."

A court hearing has not been set for the lawsuit.

Election Day is set for Saturday, Ma4.

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