REMI GARZA BACK AS COUNTY AS ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR

By Juan Montoya
The former  longtime chief of staff for former Cameron County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa has been chosen as the interim Elections Administrator for the county in the wake of the resignation of office holder Chris Davis who will leave for Williamson County.
The Cameron County Elections Commission composed of the two county chairmen, county clerk Sylvia Garza-Perez, Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre and newly-appointed county judge Pete Sepulveda voted to hire Remi Garza until a permanent replacement can be found.
Only Frank Morris, the Republican party chair, registered the sole opposing vote in the 4-1 motion to select Garza.
The county was in a bind following Davis' resignation since the City of Brownsville elections are just around the corner in May.
Sources say that the appointment was offered to former elections administrator Roger Ortiz, but that Ortiz declined.
You remember Remi.
Before he left, Hinojosa tailored a position for him within the county administration, only to have incoming Republican County Judge Carlos Cascos abolish the post. He had been promised the county administrator position now held by Pete Sepulveda.
In 2006, Hinojosa created a new department and job for Remi Garza after losing his re-election bid.
But Garza’s job as “director of administrative services,” and the new department were quickly abolished after Cascos took office in January.
Remi Garza was placed in charge of documenting county properties, but resigned the post a short time later.
Coming from a prominent San Benito family (his late father Raul, a doctor, and mother Yolanda, an attorney), Remi was soundly defeated by David Garza for commissioner of Precinct 3 in the 2008 Democratic primary.
We understand that prominent among those who were supporting Garza's bid for elections administrator were former interim Democratic chairman Jarred Hockema, also an assistant under Hinojosa and acting  city manager of Santa Rosa.  Hockema and Garza are partners in the consulting firm Frontera Consultants RGV.
With so many Hinojos aunderlings and Democratic Party supporters reemerging in the wake of Cascos' departure for his new position as Texas Secretary of State, will it be only a matter of time before Gilberto himself appears on the scene to manipulate the political goings on in the county?
The election commission's recommendation will come before the Cameron County Commissioners Court for approval or disapproval in their next meeting.