2026 004 Executive Search Firm

NOTICE TO BID
(RFQ # 2026-004)
Posted: 08/27/2026
The City of Mercedes is requesting sealed qualifications (RFQ) from qualified individuals/firms
interested in providing EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM SERVICES. Qualified applicants are
invited to submit qualifications and proposals for the provision of these services. In order to be
considered, proposals must address each of the requests for information included in this document.
All addenda, notices, additional information, etc. will be posted on the City of Mercedes website
at www.cityofmercedes.com.
One (1) unbound original, three (3) bound copies, and one (1) electronic copy must be sealed and
returned to the City of Mercedes, City Hall, no later than 3:00 P.M. CST on Wednesday,
September 16, 2026, to the attention of:
City Secretary
Mercedes City Hall
400 S. Ohio Ave.
Mercedes, TX 78570
All proposals must be clearly marked with "RFP 2026-004 - EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM."
Proposer is responsible for delivery of response by the date and time set for the closing of the
proposal acceptance. Responses received after the date and time set for the closing will not be
considered.
Proposals will be publicly opened and acknowledged after the submission deadline. The contract
award is anticipated to be made on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, during a special meeting of the
Mercedes City Commission.
All bidders must be bonded in accordance with state and local requirements.
All questions regarding the specifications or scope of work must be submitted in writing no later
than September 10, 2026 at 5:00 P.M. to the City of Mercedes at:
Joselynn Castillo, City Secretary
400 S. Ohio Ave.
Mercedes, TX 78570
Phone: (956) 565-3114
jcastillo@cityofmercedes.com
The City of Mercedes reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and waive informalities in
proposals received.
Joselynn Castillo
City Secretary

City of Mercedes
Request for Proposals/Qualifications
Executive Search Services for City Manager
Proposal Intent
The City of Mercedes, Texas, is seeking proposals from highly qualified municipal services
firms to perform executive search services for the position of City Manager. Responding firms
should have the knowledge, demonstrated experience, and expertise to recruit candidates that
best suit the community's city management needs.
Proposals must be responsive to the City's request. The City shall determine the most responsive
and qualified responding firm at a reasonable cost. Cost alone shall not be the determinative
factor. The City reserves the right in its absolute discretion to make no award or contract.
About Mercedes
The City of Mercedes is a gateway city geographically positioned near the center of the Rio
Grande Valley along Expressway 83, Mercedes functions as a bridge connecting major RGV
hubs like McAllen and Brownsville. The City of Mercedes has a population of over 16,000
residents and growing.
The City of Mercedes has a Council-Manager form of government. The citizens of Mercedes
elect a mayor and four (4) council members at-large. All council members and Mayor serve
staggered, three-year terms. The City Council appoints the City Manager as well as City
Attorney, Municipal Court Judges and Prosecutors.
Mercedes is a full-service city, including police, fire, ems, parks and recreation, library,
planning, streets, and sewer and water utility operations. The City's existing budget is $ 29.6
million including a $19.3 million general fund. There are currently 158 full-time employees, 13
part-time employees, and 10 seasonal employees. The City has maintained a stable financial
condition due to a number of proactive efficiency measures.
The City offers a high professional, stable, and friendly work environment. City staff maintain an
outstanding relationship wit the community, the City Council, and each other. Employees are
committed to commonly shared values and as a result, employment with the City provides a
rewarding environment working with individuals that care about each other and the community
they serve.
Background of Previous City Manager
Currently, the Fire Chief serves as the Interim City Manager. The previous City Manager served
for five (5) years and four (4) months prior to his resignation.
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Scope of Work
Upon selection of a qualified firm, a professional services contract will be negotiated with the
following scope of work.
Assist the Mayor and members of the City Council by providing the following services and
related information:
* Assist the City with Operational Management,
* Develop a detailed project timeline and provide regular status updates to the Mayor and
City Council;
* Develop a comprehensive recruiting profile for the City Manager position;
* Develop a recruitment brochure and include examples of flyers and brochures;
* Define the advertising strategy and marketing campaign to notify potential candidates of
the opportunity to apply and identify where advertisements will be published;
* Direct solicitation of qualified candidates; receive resumes and review qualifications;
* Conduct review and screening of initial candidates, providing periodic status updates;
* Conduct detailed background and professional reference checks, including but not limited
to verification of education background, criminal/civil litigation checks, financials/credit
background checks, and media check on recommended finalist;
* Define the preliminary screening process and the detailed steps used to narrow the field
of candidates to those that most closely match the needs of the City;
* Present a written report on employment background, personal strengths,
accomplishments, recommendations, and personal and professional references for top
candidates;
* Describe and facilitate the final interview process with the Mayor and City Council;
* Coordinate correspondence, travel arrangements, and recordkeeping;
* Provide recommended questions for on-site interviews;
* Administer all correspondence with applicants through the process, including notification
of unsuccessful candidates; and
* Assist the City in developing a final employment offer for the selected candidate.
The responding firm or the City may propose additional tasks as deemed necessary to complete
the assignment. Any additional work shall be compensated as agreed upon in the firm's contract
with the City.
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PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT
Proposal should be concise and limited to the information requested. Each proposal shall include
the following information in this format:
Introduction
A cover letter introducing the company and the individual who will assume the primary
responsibility for the process and be the contact with the Mayor and City Council.
Understanding of Proposal
Statement of your firm's understanding of the services to be performed and your commitment to
provide the services as indicated in the RFP/Q.
Qualifications and Experience
Specific qualifications regarding your firm's experience providing city manager search services,
including resumes of the key personnel to be assigned to this project listing city manager
recruitment services that they have provided or otherwise been involved with over the past three
years. Provide an estimated proportion of work to be performed by principal, associates and
support staff.
Work Plan
Provide a brief description of the work plan, methodologies and approach proposed to carry out
the tasks set forth in the Scope of Work.
Costs
Submit a fee proposal to complete the entire scope of work, including any travel and incidental
expenses. Proposals shall also include a list of personnel proposed to work on the project,
estimated allocations of time each person is to work on the project, and hourly rates for those
personnel, as applicable. Cost proposals are to include all estimated costs to the City.
Schedule
Provide a detailed timeline with proposed payment schedule, assuming the work will begin in
October 2026.
References
Provide a minimum of three (3) municipal references for providing city manager search services
within the past five (5) years. The references must be for services provided using the principal
being recommended as part of this proposal Include the name, entity, address, and daytime
telephone number of each reference.
Forms
Forms found on pages 8 - 11 must be included and submitted with the proposal.
Bidding Proposal
The proposal must include an authorized signature binding the firm to the proposal for a ninety
(90) day period.
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SELECTION PROCESS
Each of the proposals received will be evaluated to determine if they meet the stated
requirements of the RFP/Q. Failure to meet these requirements will be a cause to eliminate the
responding firm from further consideration.
The City will not be liable for any costs incurred in the preparation of the proposal nor for
obtaining the required insurance.
The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any technicalities, to accept
or reject the proposal and to be the sole judge of the suitability of the proposals submitted.
The City Council will evaluate the proposals. In addition to evaluating the written materials, oral
interviews may be requested. A recommendation to City Council may be prepared, generally
based upon the following criteria, which are neither weighted nor prioritized:
* Demonstrated understanding of the services requested;
* Prior and recent experience in successfully performing similar work;
* Qualifications of the firm and the assigned individuals;
* Methodology and proposed approach in completing the work;
* Background and related experience of the primary and other individuals assigned to this
engagement;
* Fees to be charged and overall cost effectiveness of the proposal; and
* Outcome of the reference checks.
SUBMITTAL DEADLINE AND SELECTION SCHEDULE
Proposals shall be submitted in the format described in this RFP/Q. One (1) unbound original,
three (3) bound copies, and one (1) electronic copy in PDF format to be provided on a USB
compatible flash drive properly labeled with the RFP/Q number 2026-004 shall be submitted. All
proposal envelopes must be labeled on the outside with the responding firm's name and RFP/Q
No. 2026-004 - Executive Search Firm.
Submittals will be accepted by the City Secretary of the City of Mercedes, Texas, until 3:00 P.M.
CST, September 16, 2026 at this address:
City of Mercedes - City Hall
City Secretary
400 S. Ohio Ave.
Mercedes, TX 78570
It is the sole responsibility of the responder to ensure that the proposal is delivered to the City of
Mercedes, Texas, prior to the 3:00 P.M. CST, September 16, 2026. Last submittals will not be
accepted. The City's official clock for purposes of recording receipt and acceptance of proposal
documents is located in the City Hall. It is important that the respondents follow the required
format in preparing their responses. Proposals may be mailed or delivered by hand or common
courier.
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Questions regarding submission of the RFP/Q should be directed in writing by email to Joselynn
Castillo, City Secretary, at jcastillo@cityofmercedes.com before 5:00 p.m. on September 10,
2026. Email requests must include the RFP/Q number 2026-004 in the email subject line. The
issuance of a written addendum is the only official method whereby interpretation, clarification,
or additional information can be given. However, it shall be the responsibility of each firm, prior
to submitting the proposals, to visit the City's website at www.cityofmercedes.com/business-
building-development/bids-and-contracts/ to determine if addenda's were issued and to make
such addenda a part of the proposal.
The City anticipates completing its evaluation of the RFP/Q responses and making a
recommendation at a City Council meeting on September 22, 2026. All firms are required to be
present for a brief summary of their firm and to answer any questions.
REQUIREMENTS
BASIC SAFEGUARDING OF SERVICE PROVIDER INFORMATION SYSTEMS
a) The service provider shall apply basic safeguarding requirements and procedures to
protect their information systems whenever the information systems store, process or
transmit any information, not intended for public release, which is provided by or
generated for the City. This requirement does not include information provided by the
City to the public or simple transactional information, such as that necessary to process
payments. These requirements and procedures shall include, at a minimum, the security
control requirements "reflective of actions a prudent business person would employ"
which are outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations FAR 52.204-2(b) and codified
in the Code of Federal Regulations at 48 C.F.R. 52.204-21(b)(2016).
b) The service provider shall include the substance of this clause in subcontractor may have
City contract information residing in or transiting through its information system.
Insurance Requirements
The service provider shall procure and maintain at its sole cost and expense for the duration of
the engagement, the appropriate Worker's Compensation, liability, and errors and omissions
insurance coverages, written by an insurer to transact insurance in the State of Texas.
The following is a list of standard insurance policies along with their respective minimum
coverage amounts required during the entire course of the engagement:
1. Commercial General Liability
a. General Aggregate: $2,000,000
b. Products & Completed Operations Aggregate: $1,000,000
c. Personal & Advertising Injury: $1,000,000
d. Per Occurrence: $500,000
e. Fire Damage: $50,000
f. Coverage shall be broad from CGL
g. No coverage shall be deleted from standard policy without notification of
individual exclusions being attached for review and acceptance.
h. Waiver of Subrogation required.
2. Worker's Compensation
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a. Statutory Limits
b. Employer's Liability: $1,000,000
c. Waiver of Subrogation required
The following shall be applicable to all policies of insurance required herein.
1. Only insurance carriers licensed by the state board of insurance to do business in the
State of Texas will be accepted.
2. The City, its officers, agents and employees are to be added as Additional Insureds to all
liability policies.
3. Upon request and without cost to the City, certified copies of all insurance policies and/or
certificates of insurance shall be furnished to the City.
4. All insurance required herein shall be secured and maintained with a company or
companies satisfactory to the City and shall be carried in the name of the service
provider.
5. The service provider shall provide copies of insurance certificates required hereunder to
the City on or before the effective date of the agreement resulting from this RFP/Q.
Notes:
1. By submission of your proposal in response to this announcement, you are certifying that
neither your firm nor any of its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for
debarment, declared ineligible, or excluded from participation in this procurement
process by any Federal department or agency. Further, if such a debarment or suspension
occurs during the course of the procurement, you shall so inform the City.
2. No submitting firm shall, directly or indirectly, engage in any conduct (other than the
submission of the RFP/Q) to influence any City elected official(s) and/or City staff
member(s) concerning award of a contract as a result of this solicitation. Violation of this
prohibition may result in disqualification of the firm from further participation in the
solicitation for services or goods sought herein, or from participation in further City
solicitations or contracts.
3. The City will not be responsible for any costs incurred by anyone in the submittal
process.
4. The City reserves the right to waive any irregularities, request additional information
from any respondent, reject any respondent, or cancel the entire process, should the City
determine any of the foregoing to be in the City's best interest.
5. The City reserves the right to terminate the contract for any reason by notifying the other
party in writing thirty (30) days prior to the termination of the contract.
6. Certificate of Interested Parties: In 2015, the Texas Legislature adopted House Bill 1295,
which added section 2252.908 of the Government Code and, it applies to contracts
entered into on or after January 1, 2016. The law states that a governmental entity may
not enter into certain contracts with a business entity unless the business entity submits a
disclosure of interested parties to the governmental entity at the time the business entity
submits the signed contract to the governmental entity. The law applies to all contracts of
a governmental entity that require an action or vote by the governing body of the entity.
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FORMS TO BE COMPLETED
Pages 8-11
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CITY OF MERCEDES
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP NUMBER # 2026-004 RFP TITLE: EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM
DATE DUE: SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 DUE NO LATER THAN 3:00 P.M.
RFP/Q's will be opened at the CITY OF MERCEDES CITY HALL, 400 S. Ohio Ave. Mercedes, Texas. on
September 16, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. (as per City Secretary's time clock) on deadline due date.
RFPs received later than the date and time above will not be considered.
Please return RFP ORIGINAL (marked "ORIGINAL") AND THREE (3) COPIES (marked "COPY")
sets and an electronic (PDF format file only) of your proposal for review by evaluation committee in a
sealed envelope. Be sure that return envelope shows the RFP Number, Description and is marked
"PROPOSAL 2024-004 - Executive Search Firm".
RETURN RFP TO:
by U.S. mail or delivered to the office of the Contracts/Ordinance Specialist.,
Mercedes City Hall
400 S. Ohio Ave.,
Mercedes, Texas 78570.
For additional information, clarifications and/or questions or to request addendum please contact: Joselynn
Castillo at jcastillo@cityofmercedes.com.
YOU MUST SIGN BELOW IN INK. FAILURE TO SIGN WILL DISQUALIFY THE OFFER. All prices
must be typewritten or written in ink.
Company Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Company Address: _____________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________________
Telephone No. E-mail: ______________________________________
Historically Underutilized Business (State of Texas) Certification VID Number:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Print Name: Signature: ___________________________
How did you find out about this RFP? (ex: Newspaper,
Web, Mail)
(Your signature attests to your offer to provide the goods and/or services in this RFP according to the
published provision of this bid. When an award letter is issued, this RFP becomes the contract. If an RFP
requires a specific Contract to be utilized in addition to this RFP, this signed RFP will become part of that
contract. When an additional Contract is required, an RFP award does not constitute a contract award and RFP
/ Contract is not valid until contract is awarded by City Commission (when applicable), signed by City
Manager and purchase order is issued.)
"NON-COLLUSION STATEMENT"
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BY THE SIGNATURE BELOW, THE SIGNATORY FOR THE BIDER AFFIRMS THAT THEY ARE
DULY AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE THIS CONTRACT, THAT THIS COMPANY, FIRM,
PARTNERSHIP OR INDIVIDUAL HAS NOT PREPARED THIS PROPOSAL IN COLLUSION
WITH ANY OTHER BIDER, AND THAT THE CONTENTS OF THIS PROPOSAL AS TO PRICES,
TERMS OR CONDITIONS OF SAID BID HAVE NOT BEEN COMMUNICATED BY THE
UNDERSIGNED NOR BY ANY EMPLOYEE OR AGENT TO ANY OTHER PERSON ENGAGED
IN THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS PRIOR TO THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THIS BID. FURTHER,
THE SIGNATORY AFFIRM, THAT THEY, OR ANY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY,
DID NOT CONTACT ANY EMPLOYEE OR MEMBER OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF MERCEDES AT ANY TIME DURING THE SOLICITATION PROCESS FROM INITIAL
ADVERTISEMENT THROUGH AWARD TO DISCUSS THE CONTENTS OF THIS PROPOSAL,
OTHER THAN CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE PRIOR TO THE AWARDING OF THIS PROPOSAL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT FAILURE TO OBSERVE THIS PROCEDURE MAY CAUSE THE BID TO
BE REJECTED. I ALSO AFFIRM THAT NO OFFICER OR STOCKHOLDER OF THE
RESPONDENT (BIDDER) IS A MEMBER OF THE STAFF, OR RELATED TO ANY EMPLOYEE
OR MEMBER OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MERCEDES EXCEPT AS NOTED
HEREIN:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
By signing this bid, the vendor (Bidder) makes the assurance that vendor has not been debarred
or suspended from conducting business with the U.S. Government according to Executive Order
12549 entitled "Debarment and Suspension."
COMPANY _________________________________ EMPLOYER I.D. NO.________________
ADDRESS___________________________________________________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE _______________________________________________________
PHONE ____________________________ FAX ____________________________________
EMAIL ______________________________________________________________________
BIDDER (SIGNATURE) ________________________________________________________
PRINTED NAME ______________________________________________________________
POSITION WITH COMPANY ____________________________________________________
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