MARFA — On Monday, the Presidio County Commissioners Court tapped current Deputy Clerk Carolina Catano to take over the office of clerk in the new year. Catano — who has served under current County Clerk Florcita Zubia since 2021 — will take the department’s top spot on January 1 when Zubia assumes office upstairs as the new county treasurer.
Zubia also currently fills the role as district clerk and elections administrator, and Catano will serve in those capacities as well. While it’s relatively rare for one person to serve as all three, some smaller counties — including Presidio — have opted for this arrangement as a streamlining and cost-cutting measure.
Monday’s announcement was part of a wave of changes coming to the courthouse after the holiday season. In November, current County Treasurer Frances Garcia announced her retirement from her post, effective at the end of the year.
There was some disagreement among county officials about how best to handle Garcia’s vacancy, with the judge and one commissioner split with the rest of the court on whether to hire Zubia, who was enthusiastic about the role — or an outside candidate with a background in banking. Three of the four commissioners stood firm, however, and Zubia came out on top.
Zubia said that she felt confident that her skills as clerk would successfully translate into a department she’s worked closely with for years, and that she was looking forward to continuing to serve the county while having more streamlined hours to be able to spend time with her kids. “And I’m super, super excited to learn something new,” she said.
Come January, Zubia is confident that the clerk’s office will be in good hands. “She’s great with the public, great with the office work,” she said of Catano. “She’s a pro.”
