SEPULVEDA, SANCHEZ TO GET SCHOOLED AT TUESDAY MEET

By Juan Montoya
Ever since Cameron County Pct. 4 Commissioner Dan Sanchez publicly announced Nov. 10 on the steps of the courthouse that he would be a candidate for the nomination of the Democratic Party for county judge, observers wondered how this incongruity could be happening.
There is Sanchez, a candidate for office, being kept as a "holdover" commissioner by County Judge Pete Sepulveda being allowed to discuss and vote on issues that may affect his election. And there is Sanchez, with the resources of the county in hand to use as he wishes in areas supported by the county that might benefit his candidacy.
We see Sanchez featured as a keynote speaker at a health fair hosted by the county in South Padre Island. Then, in response to gathering criticism of his neglect of rural roads and their upkeep, precinct crews – who had ignored residetns' pleas before – suddenly appear to patch potholes and clear high grasses form ditches.
This past week a group of residents from rural Pct. 4 requested to be allowed to address the issue of their commissioner and his alleged neglect of roads and infrastructure there.
And we see Sanchez reading a proclamation (in a nice frame) for a 41-year veteran of the Santa Roasa volunteer fireman. And if you attend the commissioners meeting (or watch it on television), you cannot miss him waxing eloquence on any of a myriad of subjects from beach erosion to judicial appointments, Transportation Reinvestment Zones, and a universe of other subjects.
The question has become: Is Cameron County (Sepulveda) providing Sanchez with a soapbox to the disadvantage of his opponents in the county judge's race? And if so, does Sepulveda, as he claimed in a newspaper article, really unaware of his authority under the law as it pertains to appointments to replace him on the court, on the "holdover" provisions in the Texas Government Code?
Sepulveda has expressed ambivalence on whether he has the authority to replace Sanchez.
A Valley Morning Star article Nov. 20 stated:
One thing Sepulveda is weighing is whether he, as an appointed official himself, should make the nomination.
“Should I appoint someone as an appointed official myself? Or do I wait the 90 days and whoever the public elects, I appoint to the commission?” he said.
Pct. 2 commissioner Alex Dominguez wants Sepulveda to come down on one side or the other. Toward that end, he had an item included in a supplemental agenda for legal counsel to publicly tell Sepulveda he has the authority to replace Sanchez with an appointment and to accept the responsibility for keeping him on and allow matters continue to fester as they have.
His item (see graphic, click to enlarge, for discussion only) is to clarify for Sepulveda the law on "resign to run," "holdover," and "appointment power" of the Texas Government Code.
"This has less to do with Dan," said Dominguez. "than Pete not making a tough decision. It's an identical hypothetical that could happen in two years. In fact, the question that should be asked is if Pete had run for the county judge's seat, would he have replaced Dan? It's a shame this had to get this far."
What's the sense of having a statute is the judge doesn't follow it, Dominguez and a host of others across the county have been asking, including Pct. 3 commissioner David Garza.
The Sanchez resignation (and his continuing position in the court) has resulted in at least two candidates vying for office. One of them is Sanchez's candidate Gustavo "Gus" Ruiz, a lawyer who resigned from the Harlingen City Commission to run for state representative and lost. The other contender is former Harlingen commissioner Basilio "Chino" Sanchez (no relation to the commish).
Sanchez said that Ruiz has the open support of the resigned commissioner and that Ruiz has attempted to have him drop out of the race.
"He – like Dan – thinks that because he is a lawyer he knows better than average people to represent our people on the commissioners court," he said. "I told him I didn't think it takes a lawyer to represent our community and will continue in the race."
(Ruiz, an attorney for the Veterans Court under Dan's brother 444th District Judge David Sanchez, is shown in the graphic at right holding a Dan Sanchez for county judge sign and wearing his campaign T-shirt.)
Initially, Basilio Sanchez said, commissioner Sanchez had told him he would support him in the race for his vacated chair but soon reversed himself and then threw his considerable weight behind Ruiz.
"That's the kind of person (Dan) Sanchez is," said Basilio Sanchez. "He tells you one thing and then turns around and stabs you in the back. I'm in it for the long run."