County of Maverick continues to be in non-compliance with the filing of its 2012 Financial Statement and Audit
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
The County of Maverick, Texas remains in non-compliance with state law requiring that Texas counties file their previous year’s Financial Statement and Audit by no later than March 1st of the following year as a result of its failure to file Maverick County’s 2011-2012 fiscal year Financial Statement and Audit by March 1, 2013.
Maverick County Commissioners Court approved Martinez Rosario & Company, Certified Public Accountants, of San Antonio, Texas to conduct Maverick County’s 2011-2012 fiscal year Financial Statement and Audit but the 2012 Audit has not been completed, presented to Commissioners Court and approved by Commissioners Court, and filed with the public according to state law due to the very poor accounting procedures and records previously maintained by Maverick County which makes it difficult to compile and complete an accurate financial statement and audit.
Maverick County is already ten (10) months late in filing its 2012 Financial Statement and Audit and being in non-compliance with Texas state law regarding the filing deadline of County Financial Statements and Audits.
Maverick County’s non-compliance with Texas state law regarding the filing of its 2012 Financial Statement and Audit by March 1, 2013, has caused Maverick County not be considered or eligible for some important state and federal grants, denying Maverick County taxpayers access to state and federal funds for County improvements and projects.
In addition to losing state and federal grant monies, Maverick County Commissioners Court returned a previously $580,000 Texas Community Development Block Grant award for the construction and improvement of the drainage creek in Las Quintas Fronterizas and El Indio Highway due to not fulfilling the grant requirements on a timely basis. As the June 14-15, 2013 floods in Eagle Pass and Maverick County demonstrated, the Las Quintas Fronterizas and El Indio Highway area were hard hit by the torrential rains due to the poor water drainage system in these areas.
Furthermore, Maverick County has been going through the worst corruption scandal in the history of Maverick County by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Texas Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers causing over 30 individuals, including three previous Maverick County Commissioners, to be indicted and plead guilty in federal district court in Del Rio, Texas. Currently, the FBI and Texas Rangers corruption investigation has focused on the bribery, bid-rigging, and kick-backs within the approval and granting of Maverick County public construction contracts during 2009 to 2012. The FBI investigation remains active and possibly additional indictments may be forthcoming in the near future.
All of these events has made it difficult for the auditing firm to complete its 2012 Maverick County Financial Statement and Audit to be presented to and approved by Maverick County Commissioners Court. Meanwhile, Maverick County taxpayers continue to suffer the lack of vital County services and improvements due to Maverick County’s non-compliance with filing its 2012 Financial Statement and Audit in accordance with state law.
Maverick County Commissioners Court includes County Judge David R. Saucedo, Precinct 1 Commissioner Gerardo “Jerry” Morales, Precinct 2 Commissioner Asalia Casares, Precinct 3 Commissioner Jose Luis Rosales, and Precinct 4 Commissioner Roberto Ruiz. Maverick County Treasurer is Rito J. Valdez, III, and Maverick County Auditor is Fidencio Ortiz.
