Rene Ramirez appointed interim Hidalgo County Judge

Rene Ramirez appointed interim Hidalgo County Judge

Rio Grnade Cuardian

By Joey Gomez
EDINBURG, Oct. 27 - Hidalgo County Commissioners Court has appointed Rene Ramirez, chief of staff to state Sen. Juan Hinojosa, as interim County Judge.

Ramirez takes over from J.D. Salinas, who resigned Monday in readiness to take up a position Region 7 Administrator with the General Services Administration.

"I am deeply honored. I take this position very seriously," Ramirez told the Guardian, in a phone interview.

Once he is sworn into office, Ramirez will be head of county government in the sixth largest county in Texas until January, 2001. Asked what his main attributes for the job are, Ramirez said: "I have an understanding of government both on a state and federal level and am able to communicate with people. I want to continue the good work of Judge Salinas."

Salinas was on the dais at Commissioners Court on Tuesday afternoon, even though he handed in his resignation Monday. Salinas participated in the vote for his temporary successor.

Salinas, along with County Commissioners Tito Palacios, Oscar Garza and Sylvia Handy voted for Ramirez. County Commissioner Joey Flores did not. Handy later rescinded her vote saying she thought she was voting for Rene Ramirez, the Pharr attorney.

Earlier in the day, McAllen attorney Rick Schell was unsuccessful in his bid to get an injunction against Commissioners Court taking a vote today. Schell filed the injunction in state District Judge Noe Gonzalez’s District 370 Court in Hidalgo County on behalf of Weslaco resident Servanto Herraro.

Schell did not believe Salinas had the authority to participate in the vote having already resigned.

“Judge Gonzalez denied the injunction on pretty technical legal arguments,” Schell told the Guardian via a text message.

The Guardian will have more on this developing story later today.