By Juan Montoya
Following our post on the request before Cameron County Commissioners Court by Justice of the Peace Precinct 2, Place 1 Linda Salazar for a $200 petty-cash fund, one of out three readers sent us a copy of the law that controls such funds in the State of Texas.
While it may seem a simple thing to transfer that amount from one of the line items in her budget to another, there are pretty strict guidelines in the handling and spending of those public funds. Why she waited until nine years in public office to ask the court to allow her to set up the fund is beyond us.
The part of the Local Government Code that pertains to this is in Section § 130.909, Petty Cash Funds for Certain Officials, Effective: September 1, 2011, and states that:(a) The commissioners court of a county may set aside from the general fund of the county, for the establishment of a petty cash fund for any county or district official or department head approved by the commissioners court, an amount approved by:
(2) the commissioners court, for a county with a population of less than 3.3 million.
(a-1) The petty cash fund must be established under a system provided and installed by the county auditor and, in a county with a population of 3.3 million or more, the county purchasing agent.
Reports relating to the petty cash fund must be made to the auditor and, if applicable, the purchasing agent as the auditor or purchasing agent requires.
(a-2) Falsifying documents or reports relating to the petty cash fund is an offense according to Section 32.21 or 37.10, Penal Code.
Additionally, the department head is required to post a bond to cover his or her responsibility.
(b) The bond of that county or district official or department head who receives such a petty cash fund must cover the official’s responsibility for the correct accounting and disposition of the petty cash fund.
(c) The petty cash fund may not be used to make loans or advances or to cash checks or orders for payment of any kind.
(d) On the recommendation of the county auditor, the commissioners court may increase or decrease the petty cash fund at any time.
It'll be interesting to see if and when the commissioners approve of Salazar's request. The request immediately raises a number of questions such as: How was it that in her nine years in the justice of the peace office she has not needed to set up the petty-cash fund?
How on earth did she manage up to now? Was she using funds from another source (her own pocket?) to make change for those paying fines in cash?
And if she is required to post a bond, will she use the county's low bidder for performance bond or will she do what her neighbor Erin Garcia Hernandez did and steer business to her brother?
The commissioners court will consider this request for possible action during their meeting Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at the Dancy Building at 1100 E. Monroe Street.
16 comments:
Weddings for county JP's are cash-cows. That's one reason for running for these positions.
Oops! Linda! No tacos for you, gonna have to figure out another way to make up for having to share the wedding pie! Linda! Honey! Linda! Honey! Hon! Listen! No! Listen to me! No tacos and kickbacks for you!
Linda is a cow!
She and her number 1 assistance Sylvia Rodriguez have been taking money from that court for a long time... they both are lovers
THese rules are only from 2011 that hasn't been the time she has been in office.
Linda Salazar could be a stand in for Miss Piggy on Sesame Street. Her son could be a stand in for a street urchin under any of our bridges.
Is she? What makes you throwing an insult anonymously? A coward! I'd pay to see you calling her names in her face...
I use Anonymous . She will throw the book at me for calling her Miss Petunia Pigg on the blogg. That is why I contribute my 50 bucks to her campaign fund.
And... you and your family could undoubtedly be the rugrats
@8:40pm I'm with you this damn people talk out of there ass.
Says the idiot who also posts anonymously! Pendejo!
You mean Judge Salazar's first name is Linda?!?! Oh shit! Thank god this whole time I've referred to her as Judge! Hell! This entire time I thought she was a Man!
this cheap JP's the only reason they want to be JP's is for the weddings, i wonder if they had to give the money to the county they would still be there or suddenly resign
You mean, "loafers"!
She is neither! She is a HAM!
Is she an only adopted child? According to the all knowing D.A. she was left along the River like Moses. She was discovered by an elderly wise couple who taught her the ways of getting elected.
Post a Comment