Maverick County Commissioners Court approve Juliana Andrea Sosa as Assistant District Attorney

By: Jose G. Landa
Copyright 2013 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

Maverick County Commissioners Court approved 293rd Judicial District Attorney Roberto Serna’s hiring of Juliana Andrea Sosa as a new Assistant District Attorney at their Special Meeting held on Monday, November 25, 2013, at the Commissioners Courtroom at the Maverick County Courthouse in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Commissioners Court approved Juliana Andrea Sosa as a new Assistant District Attorney effective November 25th subject to an orientation and probationary period despite being requested to waive this requirement by District Attorney Roberto Serna. Commissioners Court decided that they wished to follow standard procedures instead of waiving them. Juliana Andrea Sosa will assist the 293rd Judicial District Attoney’s Office in the prosecution of misdemeanor and felony cases as well as juvenile cases in the counties of Maverick, Dimmit, and Zavala.

Other agenda items approved by Commissioners Court was the hiring of a new clerk for the Maverick County Treasurer’s Office under the direction of Rito Valdez, III to assist with the newly acquired Maverick County Detention Center and a budget amendment to Maverick County’s budget to add this new clerk position under the County Treasurer’s Office budget.

Another agenda item approved by Commissioners Court was another budget amendment to the County’s budget of 2013-2014 to satisfy Maverick County’s match of $20,500 for the Maverick County Emergency Operations Center pursuant to an agreement with the Middle Rio Grande Development Council. The Maverick County Emergency Operations Center is currently under construction at FM 131 at the Maverick County Industrial Park (Radar Base) and should be completed in March 2014. The Maverick County Emergency Operations Center is being built with a grant together with the Middle Rio Grande Development Council to serve as the County’s emergency operations center. The Emergency Operations Center is being built with Maverick County donating the real property the center is being built on while a federal grant is paying for the construction of the center, with a total project value of one million dollars. In the future, the Maverick County Emergency Operations Center is projected to become a regional law enforcement academy and firing range in the Middle Rio Grande region as well.

Another agenda item approved by Commissioners Court was to change certain Maverick County Detention Center employees from hourly employees to salary employees. This is due to the new workload and responsibilities of certain Maverick County Detention Center employees and to avoid paying overtime compensation to them. This change will be for new employees.

Maverick County Auditor Fidencio Ortiz presented the County Auditor’s report and stated that during the month of October 2013, the County had expended only 3.87% ($532,550) of Maverick County’s budget of $13,761,000. Ortiz reported the County’s October 2013 expenditures were normal but could change depending on what expenses the County incurs and pays during the fiscal year. Commissioners Court approved the Maverick County Auditor’s Report for October 2013.

Maverick County Treasurer Rito Valdez, III presented his October 2013 County Treasurer’s Report and Commissioners Court approved it too.

Commissioners Court went into Executive Session pursuant to Section 551.071 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Open Government Code, Chapter 551, to consult with Maverick County Attorney Ricardo Ramos regarding possible litigation with real property owners along the County Easements in Precinct 2 relating to the arroyo/creek waterway cleanup project. After consultation with County Attorney Ricardo Ramos in Executive Session, Commissioners Court did not take any action in Open Session.