By Juan Montoya
Cameron County will close administrative lobbies in its buildings until the appropriate protective shields to protect skeleton crews in the departments are installed.
Then, once the protections are in place, the lobbies will open once again with minimal crews under the mandate of the county's shelter in place order by having only personnel that "perform or access essential government functions."
Penalties for violating the "shelter in place" order could result in a 180-day jail sentence and a $1,000 fine.
According to Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre, until the Plexiglass protections are in place, persons wanting to acquire or transfer auto titles or renew their registration can use the county's drive-thru windows on the new Levee Street offices across from the old Wells Fargo Bank.
This decision was made this morning at the county's commissioners court meeting. Yzaguirre said that the collection of taxes, vehicle registrations and payment of property taxes will be handled by the reduced personnel.
He said he was aware that Gov. Greg Abbott had announced March 18 that he had directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to temporarily waive expiration dates for driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses and other identification forms.
Among other suspensions of fees and rules, Abbott suspended penalties for failure to timely title or register a vehicle, or renew a parking placard.
"We are aware that the governor did that, but the court felt that these essential services should be provided and judged them to be essential government services," Yzaguirre said.
The news that Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino was micromanaging the departments struck one of our readers as "somewhat ludicrous" given the fact that he had also called for the shelter in place edict that prevented residents from leaving their homes except for the most dire necessities or if they were first responders or law enforcement.
"If people are not supposed to leave their homes except for the most essential reasons, why are offices like the tax assessor and county and district clerk offices left open?," they asked. "The courts are closed, anyway. It seems to be at cross purposes with the shelter in place order."
"What if one of the county staff get infected?," they wrote. "In that case, everyone in the office is going to have to leave to prevent the transmittal of the virus. Maybe some of the clients might even catch the virus. It seems to me that he is just getting too involved and going in cross purposes with the governor. Between him and the Brownsville Public Utility Board they are going to be worse than the COVID-19. God help us."
13 comments:
Juan, to close or not to close that is the question?
I will still offer my Muff diving service and I will come to you said the Scumbag Renee Oliveira.
@2:12
To close, cocksucker!
Are you senior citizens ready to sacrafice yourselfs for the country? Republicans are calling on you just to do that.
VOTE REPUBLICAN IN NOV IF YOU ARE STILL AROUND.
SO THEY CAN CALL ON YOU WHEN THE NEXT PANDEMIC COMES AROUND.
PRO-LIFE????
So, so go on senior citizens, go out, gather in large groups. Go out, mingle, shake hands, kiss people if you want to because hey, you’re old, you’re going to die anyway, probably. Right Don, is that what you’re thinking there? And then this happened last Friday evening. Then on Monday, Don Young’s office actually announced that they’re all going to be working from home for now on for the foreseeable future.
Republican Lawmaker Tells At-Risk Elderly Americans To Keep Going Out During Pandemic
The bill says that taxpayers relying on Social Security as part of retirement or through the Social Security Disability Insurance program can have their Social Security Administration data used directly; beneficiaries of Supplemental Security Income, which often benefits old or disabled people in poverty, are not included in the current version.
can somebody interpet the above?
It’s amazing as this shelter in place order was given however many businesses are finding loop holes in the exceptions and will remain open. Business owners need to run the business but not at the expense of the employees. Essentials businesses should not include dog groomers, provider agency offices, windshield wiper manufacturing plants, or county offices. These are all places which will draw people during the shelter in place order and could possibly spread the virus.
Juanito this is bull shit
Well nissan is open and full of sales people what is this selected shelter in place. Nissan and other car dealers are working full force why????
Pinches elected officials coming down only on citizens
DO IT ACROSS THE BOARD "EVERYBODY"
DO IT NOW
Biden: Trump should stop talking
County Judge Eddie Trevino is acting as if he were Governor Cuomo in his "press conferences. The lady signing for the deaf is a new effort to play like he's a major leader....he's not. We are saved by the local businesses that continue to function to provide citizens with goods and services...the drive through and pick-up restaurants are greatly appreciated so that we can have a sense of normalcy. Public services and first responders are working for us, especially the doctors and nurses. We may not have toilet paper or hand soap because of the hoarding/greed of some, but we have a lot to be thankful for.
Why is the tax office still open ?
March 25, 2020 at 10:23 AM
They're counting the money, one for you two for me, etc...
She's going Who cut the cheese wheeee
Post a Comment