County Commissioner Margarito Hernandez, a police officer, didn’t disclose the position in the face of a resolution against officials profiting from wall contracts.
When Presidio County Commissioner Deirdre Hisler entered the Tuesday meeting with other commissioners, she was ready for her third attempt to pass a resolution prohibiting county elected officials from profiting off any federal border barrier contracts. After all, she thought, the commissioners had already approved a resolution opposing the border wall.
She had been frustrated by inaction on the resolution the previous two attempts, although some of the opposition appeared rational. County Judge Joe Portillo was absent from one meeting, and Commissioner Obed Escontrias was not in support of extending the resolution to a variety of relatives of officials, so the item was tabled twice. But nothing prepared her for Tuesday’s revelation, that Precinct 2 Commissioner Margarito Hernandez — a city of Presidio police officer — was already working security for a wall contractor, which Portillo openly said in court.
Hisler said she was blindsided, and eventually tabled the resolution to consider next steps. “My frustration is that there was plenty of time to disclose this,” she said. She said Hernandez had told Escontrias about the situation after the last court meeting and Escontrias told him that he needed to tell the court.
“I understand why she’s upset,” Escontrias said Thursday. “I agree with her. I would’ve been as upset as well.” He said he’s in favor of the resolution.
Hernandez, Presidio police officer, was defeated in the March Democratic primary and subsequent November election for the seat by Jesus “Junie” Herrera, who will take the seat in early January.
Escontrias said he favors the resolution, although he expressed the initial concern about it applying to family members, since officials don’t have any control over the decisions they would make over working with wall contractors. Hisler removed those provisions from the resolution to restrict it only to county elected officials.
Hisler said Escontrias finally brought up Hernandez’s security work in court Tuesday, but she doesn’t understand why Hernandez didn’t tell her sooner. “He had all of last week to inform me that he was employed, then I would’ve had to go to our HR director, who is Florcita [Zubia], and she would have to take the resolution to attorneys to see if there’s any issue with him signing it and with us signing off it because he is an elected official for three more commissioners court meetings.”
Hisler finally addressed Hernandez directly in court to ask why he didn’t have the respect to tell her about his position. Hernandez responded by telling the court that he’s working for Vision Quest Solutions, a contractor that provides security services for federal contractors building border barriers. He said he opposes the wall, but that “a job is a job.”
It was unclear as to whether Hernandez would have to quit the position if the resolution passed. With more research needed, the court voted to table the item, which could make the issue moot if it’s not brought up again until after Hernandez’s term ends.
Hernandez, who in the past has told The Big Bend Sentinel he would not comment on any stories, did not respond to a request for comment.
Presidio Police Chief Adan “Pugi” Cavos said Thursday that he is against the wall projects, but that what officers did after their city shifts was up to them.
Presidio County Sheriff Danny Dominguez said Thursday that he took a more nuanced stance — officially prohibiting his deputies from working contractor security jobs “under my colors,” meaning that they would have to get a state security license to work those jobs and not just be available to work them as a commissioned officer in his department. One deputy quit his department and went to work at the Presidio Police Department to accept the work under their rules, he said.
Hisler said that Hernandez should have known how passionate she was about her resolution and her intent to show the public that their elected officials would not have conflicts of interest and that they support the county’s resolution last spring opposing the border wall.
“Margarito could have made his mind up at that time before he took this job and said, ‘I need the money,’” Hisler said. “So Margarito could have easily stepped down from Commissioners Court.” She added that Herrera, the commissioner-elect for the precinct, could have easily stepped in with an appointment to fill out Hernandez’s term to December 31.
