Updated: Salinas hands in his resignation as Hidalgo County Judge

Updated: Salinas hands in his resignation as Hidalgo County Judge

Rio Grande Guardian

By Joey Gomez and Steve Taylor

Photo: J.D. Salinas submitted his resignation as Hidalgo County Judge on Monday, effective immediately. (File photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

EDINBURG, Oct. 26 - Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas has handed in his resignation, effective immediately, according to a letter posted on the county’s Web site.

The letter, dated Oct. 26, was sent to County Clerk Arturo Guajardo by Salinas. Guajarado’s office has a date and time stamp on the letter of 1.33 p.m., Oct. 26.

The letter states:

Dear Mr. Guajardo,

I hereby resign as County Judge of Hidalgo County, effective immediately. As you know, I will soon assume the office of Regional Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration. I resign in anticipation of my induction into that office.

It has been my distinct honor to server the people of Hidalgo County first as their County Clerk and then as County Judge. I appreciate their support, and look forward to serving them in my new capacity as well.
Thank you.

Sincerely,
J.D. Salinas III.
CC: Commissioners Court

Salinas could not be reached for comment on Monday. Annette C. Muñiz, chief deputy with the County Clerk's office confirmed to the Guardian that Salinas tendered his resignation on Monday afternoon. Salinas will present his resignation at County Commissioner's Court on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

An addendum agenda for Tuesday’s regular Commissioners Court meeting that has been posted on the County’s Web site has Salinas’ letter of resignation as an attachment. Click here to read the agenda. The agenda states that Commissioners Court will take up the matter of an interim county judge on Tuesday.

At a news conference on Friday, Salinas said he would stay on as county judge for a couple of weeks to ensure a smooth transition while a interim judge is selected.

Although Salinas has resigned, effective immediately, he will still be able to participate in the vote for an interim county judge. The law provides that the county judge, even after resigning, can vote on his/her successor. The vacancy, from a legal perspective, exists until the next person takes the oath.

There has been speculation that County Commissioners Joe Flores and Sylvia Handy would like to see former County Judge Ramon Garcia installed as interim county judge. Garcia has already announced he is running for county judge in next year’s elections. If elected, Garcia would take over the helm of the sixth largest county in Texas in January 2011.

There has been speculation that the other two County Commissioners, Tito Palacios and Oscar Garza, would like to see Rene Ramirez, chief of staff to state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, installed as interim county judge. With Salinas still able to cast a vote, Ramirez looks favorite to succeed him, albeit in a temporary capacity.

Former Hidalgo County Democratic Party Chair Bobby Guerra told the Guardian last week that he would be honored to serve as county judge for the interim.

Unconfirmed reports over the weekend had Palacios coming under pressure to go with Garcia as interim county judge. Palacios’ brother, Pharr Mayor Polo Palacios, has endorsed Garcia for county judge.

The White House announced Friday that Salinas would start as administrator for Region 7 at the GSA on Nov. 9. Region 7 covers the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. It is headquartered out of Fort Worth.

The General Services Administration is the federal agency that looks after federal property. According to the GSA’s Web site, the agency’s mission statement is to leverage the buying power of the federal government to acquire best value for taxpayers and its federal customers. “We exercise responsible asset management. We deliver superior workplaces, quality acquisition services, and expert business solutions. We develop innovative and effective management policies,” the statement says.

In the past, Hidalgo County Republican Party Chairman Hollis Rutledge has been a regional director of the GSA. Serving under the first President Bush, Rutledge looked after 11 states. He was senior executive services administrator and manager of GSA Region 7 for three and a half years.

Salinas is a graduate of La Joya High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas Pan American. Salinas was elected Hidalgo County Clerk in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. In 2004, he was Texas County Clerk of the Year by his peers. Before winning elected office, Salinas was chief South Texas liaison to former State Comptroller John Sharp.

The Texas Border Coalition issued a statement on Monday praising the Obama Administration for selecting Salinas as GSA administrator for Region 7.

Editor's Note: This story has been amended from the first edition to reflect new information about who might vote for interim county judge.