Maverick County Hospital District Board to Review CEO and General Counsel Employment Contracts and Possibly Replace Them at Special Meeting on January 3, 2019

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2019

The Maverick County Hospital District Board of Directors will review the employment contracts of its Chief Executive Officer Terri Patlan-Contreras and General Counsel Alex Fuller and may take action to replace them at a special meeting on Thursday, January 3, 2019, at 12 Noon at the District’s Second Floor Conference Room, 3406 Bob Rogers Drive, in Eagle Pass, Texas, according to the agenda posted on December 28, 2018 by Board Chairman Jesus Casas.

The December 28, 2018 Agenda expressly provides that the Hospital District Board of Directors in Executive Session and Open Session will entertain four items, including “Discussion with possible action regarding Mr. Alex Fuller’s agreement to provide legal services to Maverick County Hospital District; Discussion with possible action to name a legal counsel of the Maverick County Hospital District effective immediately; Discussion with possible action regarding Mrs. Terri Patlan-Contreras’s Employment Contract; and Discussion with possible action to name Interim Administrator of the Maverick County Hospital District.”

The four agenda items posted on the December 28, 2018 Agenda clearly provides the possibility that the Maverick County Hospital District Board of Directors may terminate and name a new General Counsel and Chief Executive Officer (Administrator) after reviewing and discussing these professional employment contracts and individuals.

The Maverick County Hospital District Board of Directors under former Chairman Adolfo “Fito” Olivares renewed and extended both CEO Terri Patlan-Contreras and Legal Counsel Alex Fuller’s employment contracts in November of 2018 with then Board member and now Board Chairman Jesus Casas objecting to these contract extensions. 

In the event that the Hospital District Board should take action to terminate one or both contracts, Maverick County taxpayers may have to foot the bill on the costs of buying out these contract(s) as well as any legal costs incurred should any legal action ensue against the Maverick County Hospital District to enforce these contracts. 

At the November 6, 2018 General Election, former Board Chairman Adolfo “Fito” Olivares was elected to a four year term after being appointed to the Board and Board member Aaron Valdez was elected to a four year term.

After the election, a new Board majority coalesced to name Jesus Casas as Board Chairman, Rebecca “Becky” Robinson as Vice-President/Chairperson, and Aaron Valdez as Secretary-Treasurer. Also on the Hospital District Board are Olivares and Juan Manuel “Chuco” Farias.

The Hospital District Board special meeting scheduled on Thursday, January 3, 2019, at 12 Noon is open to the public.