Presidio County veterans celebrated on October 22 when Veterans County Service Officer (VCSO) Denise Estrada was unanimously selected by the Commissioners Court—but nearly a month later, she has yet to officially start work. Until last week, the county’s newest employee didn’t yet have a place to meet with servicemembers, becoming instead the subject of the latest power struggle over the county’s limited resources.
The county suffered a particularly bruising budget season over the summer that soured the tone of local politics and pushed everyone to be extra cautious about spending and commitments. At a particularly-packed August meeting, the court discussed axing both the position of emergency management coordinator and the VCSO, instead merging responsibilities for those positions under the umbrella of the county judge’s office.
Veterans from Presidio and Marfa spoke out, and the county instead opted to hire Denise Estrada, a triple Bronze Star combat veteran, to take over the position. Estrada’s duties would include meeting with veterans and connecting them to services through the nationwide Veteran’s Affairs office, saving locals the trip to the next-nearest office in Fort Stockton.
During the October 22 vote, County Judge Joe Portillo offered space in the American Legion in Presidio, but Precinct 1 Commissioner Deirdre Hisler—who had spearheaded the effort to preserve the position—didn’t think it was an adequate space for a county office, especially given the sensitivity of the records that VCSOs regularly work with. Instead, she suggested using the vacant commissioners office at the County Annex—but Portillo and Precinct 2 Commissioner Margarito Hernandez pushed back, saying that the annex was full because the commissioners office had been promised to a new Presidio County Appraisal District employee.
The two commissioners clashed a few days later over the phone, with Commissioner Hernandez claiming authority over the annex, which lies within his precinct. He also told Commissioner Hisler that it was inappropriate to have veterans “around the public,” insinuating that they posed a public safety threat.
Commissioner Hernandez clarified his comments at last week’s meeting, explaining that he was trying to keep the peace among existing employees at the Annex. “This is not a discussion where we don’t appreciate our veterans,” he said. “Maybe somebody wants to put it like that, but I respect every veteran here in the United States.”
A number of former servicemembers spoke at the meeting to show their support for Estrada moving into the empty space in the Annex. Marfa City Councilmember and veteran Mark Morrison saw the need for an official space that was appropriate for having confidential consultations. “For as remote a county as we are, I think having this office would be fantastic,” he said. “[Veterans] know you’re going to be there, there’s a phone number to call, and there’s a physical place they know it’s not going to change—and it’s going to be confidential, so they can shut the door, talk to the officer and get their services started that they need.”
The majority of the court listened to the veterans’ feedback, officially ceding the commissioners office in the Annex to Estrada 4-1, with Commissioner Hernandez giving the lone “nay” vote.