State of flux as Handy announces intent to resign

County officials took a business-as-usual approach to news that Precinct 1 Commissioner Sylvia Handy will resign today.

County Judge Rene Ramirez, commissioners court executive officer Valde Guerra and county attorney Steve Crain all said they couldn’t comment on Handy’s impending resignation until the county actually receives it.

But Ramirez, speaking by telephone from a conference in Washington, D.C., said Monday evening that he asked Handy’s interim chief administrator Lorie Ochoa to ensure that Precinct 1 operations continue.

“The most important thing is to make sure that the functions of government continue in that precinct,” Ramirez said. “After that, we’re going to take it one day at a time.”

Handy agreed to resign today as a condition of her remaining out on bond until her sentencing date in June.

Her attorney, Al Alvarez, said he would help her draft a letter of resignation to submit to the county.

But it was unclear who — if anyone — will receive Handy’s resignation letter.

Ramirez is in D.C. at a Texas Border Coalition conference with Precinct 2 Commissioner Tito Palacios. Because Handy’s trial and their absence prevented a three-member quorum, the Commissioners Court meeting regularly scheduled for Tuesday was pushed back to Friday when Ramirez and Palacios return.

The agenda posted for Friday’s meeting does not mention Handy’s resignation since it was up before the commissioner pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and another count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.

Guerra said an additional posting to take action on Handy’s resignation can be made if he receives direction from the court that its needed.

“We have to wait and see,” he said. “She hasn’t formally addressed the governing body of the court to this point.”

If Handy resigns today, it will trigger a special election for the November ballot.

As county judge, Ramirez can make a temporary appointment to the post. But the county’s Democratic and Republican party precinct chairs — who are elected from each of the county’s voting precincts and comprise the executive committee of the party — would be called upon to select who goes on the November ballot.

The winner of the special election would serve out the last two years of Handy’s term.

Commissioner Joe Flores, who was locked into a battle for control of the Commissioners Court, acknowledged in January that he asked “15 or 20” of his family members, friends and political allies to run for precinct chair, including his sister, his nephew, school board members in La Joya and Mission and his precinct coordinator. Relatives of incoming county judge Ramon Garcia — including his 87-year-old mother, two sisters and a daughter — also ran for the positions.

However, relatives and political allies of Flores and Garcia mainly applied for precinct chairs in the western and northern portions of the county. The elections code indicates that precinct chairs from Handy’s eastern county precinct will select her replacement on the November ballot.

Garcia, who is politically aligned with Flores, will control a majority coalition on the court when Handy’s chief administrator, Joseph Palacios, takes over as Precinct 4 Commissioner in January. Palacios ousted incumbent commissioner Oscar Garza in last week’s election.

But the first order of business will be to select her temporary replacement.

Crain, the county’s attorney who was at a school board meeting Monday evening, said he’ll need to see Handy’s resignation letter before he comments.

The only thing that is certain is who oversees precinct operations today.

Rene Ramirez said Ochoa, the chief administrator, will ensure precinct services continue today.

Precinct 1 employees will continue “business as usual” today, said Ochoa, who worked as a human resources consultant before Handy appointed her as interim chief administrator three months ago. Work will continue as it has since Handy was placed under house arrest in December.

But even her interim position is in a state of flux. Joseph Palacios, the Precinct 1 chief administrator, said he is scheduled to return in late March from the leave of absence he took to focus on his campaign.

Who will be the Precinct 1 commissioner when he returns remains to be seen.

“When a new commissioner is appointed, we will work together,” Ochoa said Monday. “Our goal is to continue a seamless transition for the next commissioner.”

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.