Maverick County $8.5 Million Bond Election Heats Up, Ethics Violation Complaint Filed

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2017

The Maverick County $8.5 Million Bond Election currently being held at the Maverick County Courthouse for Early Voting Period has generated lots of heat and cross-complaints of ethics violations by proponents of the Bonds and opponents during the first week of voting.

Opponents of the $8.5 Million Bond election have filed an ethics violation complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission alleging that Maverick County is in violation of Chapter 255 of the Texas Election Code, a Class A misdemeanor, for using public resources to advocate FOR the $8.5 Million Bond Election, including the use of Maverick County vans, automobiles, employees, supplies, equipment, and the official Maverick County Facebook page.

Maverick County Taxpayer Ethelvina I. Felan wrote a letter to Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo and Commissioners Court notifying them of the County’s blatant violation of Chapter 255 of the Texas Election Code for using County public resources to advocate FOR the $8.5 Million Bond Election and providing them with actual photos of Maverick County Precinct 2 Vans transporting County registered voters to the polling place at the County Courthouse and giving them pre-marked Sample Ballots FOR the $8.5 Million Bond Proposition to take into the polling place.  Maverick County Precinct 2 Commissioner is Rosy Cantu.  Taxpayer Felan advises County Judge Saucedo and County Commissioners that the use of Maverick County public resources in the Bond Election is a violation of the Texas Election Code and prohibited by law.  Felan states that “a Complaint has been filed with the Texas Ethics Commission” against Maverick County in Austin, Texas.

Proponents of the $8.5 Million Bond Election called the Eagle Pass Police Department on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, to complain about an Opponent of the Bonds violating the 100 feet distance marker from the polling place in violation of the Texas Election Code.  Two Eagle Pass Police squad cars with officers arrived at the Maverick County Courthouse to warn both Proponents and Opponents of the $8.5 Million Bonds to observe the 100 foot distance markers as future violations may cause violators to be cited or arrested.

Early Voting continues until May 2, 2017 at the Maverick County Commissioners Courtroom located at 500 Quarry Street in downtown Eagle Pass from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. with extended voting hours on Saturday, April 29th, from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. and on Monday, May 1st, from 8 AM. to 8 P.M.  Regular Election Day is on Saturday, May 6th, from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. at designated polling places.  All Maverick County registered voters are invited to come out and vote.

The Maverick County $8.5 Million Bond Election has drawn two clearly opposing political groups, one group composed of concerned County Taxpayers who oppose the Bonds while the second group composed of County Judge Saucedo and County Commissioners Jerry Morales, Pete Venegas, Rosy Cantu, and Roberto Ruiz, Sheriff Tom Schmerber, and County Treasurer Rito Valdez III are FOR the Bonds.

The proponents for the Bonds are pulling out all the whistles and bells, including the alleged use of County public resources, to get voters to the poll while opponents have less resources at their disposition.  The $8.5 Million Bond Election will more than likely be decided on which political group is able to bring the most voters to the polls.

Proponents of the $8.5 Million Bonds contend that the bonds are necessary for Maverick County to provide public services to County residents such as street paving, bridge repairs, new Sheriff Department vehicles, new Road and Bridge equipment and machinery, software for County Court, Justice of the Peace Courts, County Clerk Office, and District Clerk Office, and other public services.

Opponents of the $8.5 Million Bonds argue that Commissioners Court have not been open and transparent with County financial affairs, approved an increased 2016-2017 County Tax Rate, unlawfully denied Taxpayers petition for a County Tax Rate Recall Election, will significantly increase the County’s debt burden ($40 Million), will use the funds to cover financial mismanagement of County’s Budget and Deficits, and use the funds for personal political gain.

The final decision and fate of the Maverick County $8.5 Million Bond Election is up to over 30,000 Maverick County registered voters.