A Non-Political Analysis of the Two Candidates for Cameron County Clerk~Arnold Flores, Jr. and Sylvia Garza-Perez

Arnold Flores, Jr. and Sylvia Garza-Perez will face each other in a runoff for Cameron County Clerk.  Below, we attempt to analyze the comparative skill set for each candidate for this particular job.

Sylvia Garza-Perez

If, as they say, the best predictor of future performance is past performance, longtime political operative Sylvia Garza-Perez would not, if elected, be a very good Cameron County Clerk.  

Elected to a four year term as Cameron County Democratic Chair, Sylvia Garza-Perez tired of the job after a little over a year in office, stating she wanted to run for County Judge(Weeks later after a visit with Joe Rivera, she changed her mind, deciding to run for County Clerk instead).  She attempted to install Carlos Masso as Democratic Chair in her place, but did not follow party rules.

Finally, after new officers were installed legally, the new party treasurer, William Skaggs, announced to the local party: 

"People, we are broke. We have $3,200 in the bank and I don't know what bills have been paid. With 100 years of operating in this county, I was given only 6 bank statements. I have a phone bill for the Democratic Party and a utility bill for Rudy Perez. I will not pay any bill not directed to the Democratic Party."

At this point, former Chair Sylvia Garza-Perez, who arrived about 20 minutes late, said if the bills did not get paid "the phone and lights will be disconnected. We've been paying these bills out of our own pocket. P.U.B. would not allow the bill to be to the Democratic Party. It had to be in someone's name."

Here is a note found posted on the party's meeting place on E. 10th Street:  

October 29, 2013

You have been locked out for non-payment of rent. In order to retrieve your personal items you must contact the office of Brownsville Real Estate Management Co. first to pay rent due and late fees in order to obtain entry to the premises.

You may call the management company at (956)778-7181. If we do not hear from you in three days then formal eviction proceedings will begin.

Brownsville Real Estate Management Co.

Larry Jokl
Manager

Not only were the Democratic Party's financials and record-keeping left in a complete mess by Sylvia, but fewer than half of the precincts actually had a precinct chair.  Also, a number of the precinct chairs did not live in their precincts, a clear violation of party rules.  It was later learned that Mrs. Garza-Perez had simply picked friends to fill those positions.

Here is a description of the County Clerk's responsibilities from the Cameron County website:

The County Clerk is the trusted guardian of all instruments of Public Record and therefore it is our duty to maintain records with integrity and facilitate public access. . . . . . . . .

All records that are to be available for public record must be filed in this office. Types would include Deeds, Deeds of Trust, Plats, Liens, Notices, Livestock Marks and Brands, Easements, Cemetery Deeds, Power of Attorney, Oil and Gas Leases, Releases , assumed name certificates and many other documents.

The instruments are filed and recorded in a safe and permanent matter, and are processed on the optical imager and indexed so records may be rapidly and efficiently retrieved.

Imagine the chaos if deeds, liens, Powers of Attorney, Oil and Gas Leases, Easements, etc. are mishandled. Consider also the managerial skill necessary to manage a department with 55 employees.

Arnold Flores, Jr. and Family

Arnold Flores, Jr., 33, has been in some form of management since graduating from UTB. Currently, Flores serves as Administrative Services Director for Cameron County. 

Flores, an expert in information technology, has helped Cameron County's Human Resources Department get up to speed technically, converting paper files to microfilm and disc. He foresees the same transformation for records under supervision by the County Clerk, but also wants those records accessible online.

"Counties across the state have put their records online.  We need to do the same.  We cannot simply be a department only accessible till 5:00 PM.  Cameron County citizens deserve what other counties enjoy, the ability to access records, pay fees online.  We also need better use of already existing satellite offices by sharing the space with other offices," stated Flores.

Cameron County's runoff election will be held May 27.