QUID PRO QUO CONTINUES AT SHERIFF GARZA'S DEPARTMENT

Special to El Run-Rrun

Remember the promises that then-candidate for Cameron County Sheriff (now elected sheriff) Eric Garza made on the campaign trail that – unlike the late incumbent Omar Lucio – compadrismo would not be tolerated in the department?

Guess again.

First it was Chief Deputy Robert Gracia, who contributed more than $50,000 to Cameron County Sheriff Eric Garza's campaign and cashed in on a $86,000 salary.

Next it was Rick Cornejo, his former administrative assistant at the Cameron County District Clerk's Office who campaigned hard to get Garza elected. He got an administrative position at $45,726.

All along, Garza and his administration has been paying lip service to the county's Human Resources policy. For example, Gracia was "appointed" to the chief deputy position by Garza on January 1, even before he was even a county employee. Further, he wasn't even a licensed peace officer and took three tries to pass the Texas Commission On Law Enforcement exam. It wouldn't be until March that he passed and he received a letter of employment from the county.

In Cornejo's case, the sheriff administrator position was open from March 3 to March 9 and even before the application period was over and no interviews had taken place, Cameron County District Clerk Laura Perez-Reyes was already congratulating Cornejo on March 9 at 2 p.m, three hours before the application deadline.

And even as he promised that he would give more and better trained jailers for the jail staff, he made a salary schedule amendment where he gave up four jailer's positions in exchange for his sheriff administrator position and two clerks to assist him.

With a jailer shortage of more than 80 guards, he is at it again.

This time it's the employment of Jessica Ramirez, who reportedly contributed $2,500 to Garza's campaign. Really? An office clerk can contribute that kind of money?

Even with the jail shortage, Garza managed to get the Cameron County Commissioners Court to do away with two jailer positions to make room for his former employee at the district clerk's office.

Then, to add insult to injury, he set her salary at some $45,000 in her position as "a functional systems analyst." Jail guards, in contrast, start at $35,000.

No compadrismo or quid pro quo like in the Lucio days, Eric?