IS JP SALAZAR VIOLATING POLICY BY HIRING HER HALF SISTER?

By Juan Montoya

The Cameron County Personnel Policy under section 3.05 manual states unequivocally that "no person may be hired who is related within the second degree by affinity (marriage or within the third degree by consanguinity (blood) to any member of the Commissioners’ Court, to a County official who appoints him or her to the position, or to any employee who would directly supervise his or her job performance."

Yet, for months, perhaps years now, it has been an open secret that JP 2-1 Linda Salazar has had her half sister Beatriz Muñivez working under her direct supervision as a court assistant. Her annual pay, according to the county's salary, schedule is $31,873. (See graphic at right below. Click to enlarge.)

Salazar's salary is set at $57,343 after her $5,400 car allowance and annual 960 phone allowance.

Cameron County Clerk marriage records indicate that Salazar far outpaces the other county JPs in marriages performed during the year. In the past two years, she has averaged over 600 weddings. At an average of a $200 fee per marriage, it adds up to some $120,000 yearly above her county salary which she gets to keep according to state law.

Some law enforcement officers have complained that they have been kept waiting or turned away from her court because she is too busy performing the lucrative weddings.

Salazar (née Muñivez ) first married her first husband named Cortez and later her second husband with a last name of Salazar. Her older son Ruben Cortez is the Democratic Party nominee for the Texas State Board of Education and will face City of Brownsville IT Specialist Tad Hasse in the November general election.

Her other son, Mark Cortez, has filed his treasurer's appointment to run for trustee of the Brownsville Independent School District.

But while it will be up to the voters to decide those races, the fact that Salazar directly supervises her half sister in her position inside her office has raised serious questions on whether that violates the county's nepotism policy.

Several critics say that the issue may be brought before the commissioners court for their review and possible corrective action.

The county's nepotism policy states that : "In the event that two current county employees become related in a manner prohibited by this section, the two parties will be given a reasonable time for one or the other to secure another position, either within the County in another department, or outside County government. For purposes of this policy, a reasonable time will not normally exceed two months. If the two parties cannot decide which of them will forfeit his or her job, the party with the least seniority will be terminated."

Since the relationship between Salazar and her sister fall well within the "third degree by consanguinity (blood)" even before both were employed by the county, it would seem that little question remains that the situation cannot continue in direct violation of county policy. Was it an oversight by the JP that her sister got a job in her office?

And what will the commissioners court do? Will it give the situation a wink and a nod? Or will it adhere to the policy stated in its personnel policy manual?