𝗔 𝗙𝗘𝗪 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗟 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗨𝗠

The Cameron County Appraisal Board Candidates Forum was held in the same room as the TSC/BISD thing a couple nights earlier and, despite not knowing some of the candidates, I did jot down some notes.

The Question of the Night Award was won by: 

"If you're involved in real estate, mortgage or development, why is it not a conflict to serve on the appraisal board?"

Ricardo de la Garza's response was that folks in the industry were "good people," not exactly reassuring, but, oh well.

"Please, don't elect people who know nothing," he added.

The question may have been aimed at a slate of Bill Hudson, Minerva Simpson and Norlene C. Chamberlain.

Mortgage Loan Officer Simpson oozed with compassion as she characterized herself as someone who would "extend a thirty year mortgage to a 95 year old," also referencing her humble beginnings by saying that her birth was assisted by a midwife.

"I don't discriminate," she told the forum audience.

Her slate partner, Bill Hudson, an odd combination of arrogance and goofiness, decried a "culture of bullying" at the appraisal district, calling out the "cherry picking" of comparitive properties," also implying inflexibility.

"If you have an issue with your appraisal, you need to pack your bags," Hudson said.

During the forum which was aired on the internet, I received a message from voter advocate Mary Helen Flores, wondering about two men dressed in identical uniforms.  

Sure enough, Ruben Martinez and Ricardo "Ricky" de la Garza were wearing identical white shirts with red and blue embroidered writing, "twins," we could call them, although nothing was said about them being a slate or even a duo.

On my way home I noticed that their campaign signs are also very similar using the same colors.  No joke.

Erasmo Castro with microphone

Erasmo Castro, running against Bill Hudson for Place 1, stressed compassion and his record of "fighting for the people" as he made eye contact with the entire audience during his speech. (I had a brief vision of dealing with either Castro or Hudson about an appraisal, making a mental note of my preference.)

Ruben Martinez, one of the "twins," did say that high property values were beginning to squeeze people out."

Ruben Martinez addressing the forum

Martinez also made an odd statement for a discussion about property appraisal, saying "we don't always need to hit a home run."

Was he saying the system merely needed tweaking, not a total remodel?

Philip Cowen, candidate for Place 3, may have answered my question when he called for "restructuring the board," but also saying he was "anti-slate."

Perhaps giving us a bit more information than needed, Cowen told his that his family had been here "190 years, since 1822."  (Wouldn't that be 202 years?)

Cowen also described his recent baptism, along with his wife, in the Jordan River, "where Christ was baptized." (I guess it would be picky to say Jesus was baptized in the Jordan, becoming the "Christ" afterward, but I'm a backsliding agnostic, so what do I know?)

Fernando Lazo made some good points, calling for an emphasis on "data and analytics," but then lost me when he admonished to "approach every situation with enthusiasm."  

Maybe, that's because he's the breadwinner for a family of 7.