COMMISSIONERS COURT DENIES REMOVING CAPTAIN POSITION FROM CIVIL SERVICE; ITEM LEFT FOR END OF LONG MEETING

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

After being made to wait for more than an hour and after the executive session of the Cameron County Commissioners Court, Cameron County Sheriff Department Chief Deputy Robert Gracia was informed that Sheriff Eric Garza's request to remove the captain's position from civil service had been denied.

Gracia waited until the court had voted on executive session items and when the sheriff's item came up, technical problems muted the proceedings and he asked Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño how the court had decided.

"The item failed and it was not approved by the commissioners court," Treviño replied.

Throughout the hour-long Zoom meeting, Gracia could be seen fidgeting and scowling because a vote on the item had been delayed until the end and he had not been allowed to address the issue. When it was finally taken at the very end of the meting, technical difficulties with the audio prevented him from speaking until after the commissioners voted.

The vote, according to a county clerk employee, was 3-2 with Pct. 1 commissioner Sofie Benavides and Pct. 2 commissioner Joey Lopez in favor and the Treviño and Pct. 3 commissioner David Garza and Pct. 4 commissioner Gus Ruiz against.

The captain's position became vacant when Capt. Javier Reyna announced his retirement. Since it is a civil service position, the department is required to advertise the position for qualified applicants. So far, no announcement of a vacancy for the position has been listed in the Cameron County Human Resources Dept.

But even before the meeting, the Cameron County Sheriff Deputies Association had written the commissioners stating its "100 percent" opposition to the request. The letter stated that such a move would further demoralize the department personnel.

"The request, if approved, will put a dagger into the heart of a already crumbled and demoralized department," the letter stated. "If this move is granted, it will not allow a qualified lieutenant to move up to a deserving position to be a captain. It will not allow a deserving deputy to promote to the position of sergeant."

Aside from providing an opportunity for hard-working, dedicated, and qualified officers in the department, it continues, "A move like what is being asked for would furthermore add to the undesirable working conditions we already face."

"This will also allow that the (department) to be led by competent and experienced personnel, instead of allowing for the Administration to promote friends and political supporters that are NOT qualified to hold this very important position."

Garza – who criticized former sheriff Omar Lucio for alleged "compadrismo" during the political campaign – was asking the commissioners court that he allowed to change the requirements of captain from civil service to non-civil so he could place his compadre Silverio Cisneros in the position following Reyna's announced retirement.

Garza has been criticized for not adhering to Human Resources regulations pertaining to department hiring. Many of his political supporters have been placed in positions of authority. Cisneros  a former Cameron County Parks Department Ranger –  would not have qualified for the captain's position because he has not passed the civil service exam, department sources say.