Coming on the heels of the Cameron County Commissioners Court granting JP 2-2 Jonathan Gracia's request to use lapsed salaries on his budget to pay his staff overtime to address the serious backlog in cases in his court, his neighbor JP 2-1 Linda Salazar's plea emulated his request.
Gracia inherited a backlog of some 13,000 cases from previous JP 2-2 Erin Hernandez-Garcia and has been whittling away at them at the same time that he is handling the day-to-day business in his court. He took office in January 2015.
Salazar is asking the commissioners to pay her staff citing a backlog of some 20,000 cases. However, Salazar did not inherit the backlog, but was in charges of the court since she was first took office in 2005 and has held that office for the last 10 years. The backlog has accumulated during that time.
She told commissioners that she would concentrate on some 3,000 warrants that are outstanding in her court. Salazar blamed computer program changes, carryover former JP Tony Torres, and a turnover in personnel for the burgeoning backlog.
Some court insiders say that the commissioners questioned her request because Salazar has established herself as the front-runner in performing wedding ceremonies above all other JPs in the county. By law, JPs can charge any fee they want for performing the ceremonies and pocket the money themselves.
The latest figures we have been able to get show that in the first four months of 2015, Salazar had already married 155 couples. At a medium-range charge of $200 per couple, she racked up $31,000.
If her rate persists, she could well marry some 620-700 couples by the end of the year.
At an average of $200 a couple, this marrying JP could rack up a not inconsiderable sum of $124,000 in 2015. Compared to her $53,708 combined salary and auto allowance, it ain't noting to be sneezed at.
By contrast, by the same time Gracia's had racked up only 63 marriages and JP 2-3 Maria Esther Garcia recorded 16 marriage ceremonies.
A Cameron County Clerk's Office records indicate that Salazar performed 760 wedding between January 2013 and July 11, 2014.
With all this time dedicated by the JP 2-1 office staff for lucrative weddings, is it any wonder that the commissioners are reluctant to pony up to give her staff raises?
But that isn't the only beef that the county has with the JPs' offices. There 's the little matter of uncollected fines once the count processes a citation or small claims.
Figures obtained from the Auditor's Office indicate that Salazar's office (201 on the graphic at right) has some $2,262,254 in uncollected fines on 10,230 cases adjudicated.
Gracia's JP 2-2 (202 on the graphic) tops her in money amounts inherited from his predecessor Garcia with a carryover from previous JP Kip Hodge and before that Tony Torres.with $2,639,499 on 9,597 cases.
"If she wants extra money, maybe she can do something about spending less time on wedding ceremonies that benefit her personally and concentrate on collecting the $2.2 million in uncollected fines owed the county," said the county employee.
By contrast, by the same time Gracia's had racked up only 63 marriages and JP 2-3 Maria Esther Garcia recorded 16 marriage ceremonies.
A Cameron County Clerk's Office records indicate that Salazar performed 760 wedding between January 2013 and July 11, 2014.
With all this time dedicated by the JP 2-1 office staff for lucrative weddings, is it any wonder that the commissioners are reluctant to pony up to give her staff raises?
But that isn't the only beef that the county has with the JPs' offices. There 's the little matter of uncollected fines once the count processes a citation or small claims.Figures obtained from the Auditor's Office indicate that Salazar's office (201 on the graphic at right) has some $2,262,254 in uncollected fines on 10,230 cases adjudicated.
Gracia's JP 2-2 (202 on the graphic) tops her in money amounts inherited from his predecessor Garcia with a carryover from previous JP Kip Hodge and before that Tony Torres.with $2,639,499 on 9,597 cases.
"If she wants extra money, maybe she can do something about spending less time on wedding ceremonies that benefit her personally and concentrate on collecting the $2.2 million in uncollected fines owed the county," said the county employee.
13 comments:
Se clavó la Lana !!!!
And she is up for re election 2016
(And she is up for re election 2016)
Dude, she's so fat, she looks on the verge of death. Walking with a cane and all. Not cause she's old, simply because she's so fat she's on the verge of death.
lol.
And all this surprises you????????? She has never been there for the people but only for herself..........................
How funny when she is for re-election she seems to know you really good , but see her at the court house it seems she don't even know you reminds if other ppl in Sheriff's Dept. But o well we our family won't vote for her anymore...
Linda es una cabrona. She only helps people cuando le combiene. If she stands to gain nothing you're fucked.
Ya es tiempo que La Gorda heche un tacón y se retire .
ok so she charges cash or check on these extra weeding stuff, that's $140k Mr. IRS is she including all this extra dough on her income tax? there is a difference between tax avoidance, tax evasion and tax fraud, right? remember linda al capone and Sylvia handy from hidalgo county were sent to jail for tax evasion. so ya sabes girlfriend, you could be next. Ya no mames girl.
A full work day is from 8 to 5 .not 9 to 3.then you take an hour lunch..you are down to 4 hours of work..just saying.I don't think you can accomplish much!!!!
Is she related to Santa C. ?
It seems to me that these Justice of Peace are too lazy and the constable offices around the county have failed to do their job. What the sense of issuing a ticket if there are no consequences to it? Precinct 5 now has that loving citation writing short shit in J. A. Villarreal working for them and stalking the highway outside of La Feria. That piece of shit issues about ten a day. Will they be "for not? These Justice of Peace need to get off their asses and quit doing weddings for that dollar and concentrate on these citations and warrants being served. That's a lot of money being wasted and not being collected. I am not an accountant but these outstanding fines could pay salaries of support budgets?
According to courthouse scoop,she is the largest stockholder at MAMA Mías Taco Stand, S.A..
2.2 million in uncollected tickets or fines, hella of a job being done by linda le vale Salazar, time for a change folks, she is just to too busy with all those weddings to collect any of these fines,
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