District Judges Amado J. Abascal, III, and Cynthia Muniz split on appointment of County Auditor

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

State District Judges Amado J. Abascal, III, of the 365th Judicial District and Cynthia Muniz of the 293rd Judicial District split on the appointment of a Maverick County Auditor at a special meeting held on Friday, October 10, 2014, at 5 P.M. at the Maverick County Courthouse in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Only one applicant, current Maverick County Auditor Fidencio Ortiz, applied for the County Auditor position.

Judge Abascal voted to appoint current Maverick County Auditor Fidencio Ortiz while Judge Muniz voted not to appoint Ortiz as County Auditor.

As a result of the two District Judges split on the issue, both judges will now certify the issue to Governor Rick Perry so that he can appoint a third District Judge to meet with Judges Abascal and Muniz in another special meeting to determine the appointment of a Maverick County Auditor, a critical financial watchdog position in Maverick County.

Maverick County Auditor Fidencio Ortiz’s term expired at the end of September 2014 after being appointed in late 2012 to fulfill an unexpired two year term of former County Auditor Carlos Pereda, who resigned. The County Auditor position had been vacant for a considerable time before Judges Abascal and Muniz appointed Fidencio Ortiz in late 2012.

Maverick County Commissioners Court comprised of County Judge David R. Saucedo, Commissioner Roberto Ruiz, Commissioner Jerry Morales, and Commissioner Asalia Casares approved a resolution recommending that Ortiz not be re-appointed as Maverick County Auditor at a special Commissioners Court meeting on May 5, 2014. Commissioners Ruiz, Morales, and Casares were appointed by County Judge Saucedo to fill vacancies created by the federal indictment and subsequent guilty pleas of former Maverick County Commissioners Rudy Heredia, Cesar Flores, and Eliaz Maldonado arising from the largest corruption, bribery, and kick-back scandal in Maverick County’s history.

A future special meeting will be announced to determine who will be appointed as Maverick County Auditor.