A.D. Ibarra
-Maverick County

    Big news in Maverick County on Friday evening. Maverick County Commissioner's Court effectively washed its hands of the Maverick County Detention Center citing irreparable negotiations with bond holders and the trustees of the facility. When the meeting began at 5:25 PM, Maverick County Judge David Saucedo asked legal counsel Robert Wilson if he had anything to say with respect to the issues at hand who said he would rather address this in executive session which they immediately retired to. Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber was called into the office at 6:35 and when they returned at exactly 7:00 PM, they did so to unanimously reject the offer made by the bond holders followed by a motion made to advise the Sheriff to cease operations at the Maverick County Detention Center and to give the PFC, the US Marshals Office and the bond holders a thirty day notice of said action. Commissioner's Court made reference to their not agreeing with the bond holders on their proposal and cited that the Maverick County Sheriff's Office and their staff kept the operation afloat for 18 months despite low numbers also saying that they effectively have nothing in place to continue.  The commissioners continued that the bond holders had an arrogant point of view in their negotiations and that their new financial advisor Raul Villaseñor was in favor of taking this action. They said that they were trying to negotiate with the bond holders in order to save this project and that it hurts, but that a decision had to be made seeing that Maverick County has  financial difficulties and that the tax payers of Maverick County have no reason to have to pay for this project. After this, the court who was short two commissioners, Jose Luis Rosales and Gerardo Morales, who may have made a difference in the ultimate decision whether in closed session or in open session were not present. When the vote was taken, the vote was unanimous to effectively do away with 140 jobs and from 380-400 prisoners housed at the facility who will be gladly taken at other similar facilities across the state of Texas.