Webb County Commissioners evaluate department directors

WEBB COUNTY, TX. (KGNS) - Webb County Commissioners evaluated several department heads for the first time in three years.

The practice was put on hold during the pandemic; however, on Monday, the performance of four Webb County Directors was in the spotlight during a heated meeting.

After 1 p.m., Commissioners voted two in favor and two against terminating Webb County Engineer Luis Perez Garcia; however, Judge Tano Tijerina broke the tie.

Less than two hours later, they rescinded the vote to terminate Garcia and brought him back, but that was not the case for another county director.

Commissioners went over the evaluation of Human Resources Director Ernesto Guajardo and according to Guajardo’s evaluation performance, there were some complaints about him.

Ranging from how he allegedly spoke to certain female supervisory staff members, to his handling of certain employee issues such as being overly critical of applicant qualification criteria.

There was even a complaint that he recommended his own personal applicants for department heads to hire.

His evaluation was discussed behind closed doors, and he was ultimately terminated.

Before Perez-Garcia was terminated, he said it could potentially impact some of the count’s project.

“We will have a lot of projects on the burner, we are getting ready to have a preconstruction beginning in a couple of hours, starting the fire station addition and the JP office or the constable office addition for the Oilton community,” said Perez-Garcia.

According to Mr. Perez Garcia’s evaluation performance, it said in part, Perez Garcia demonstrated that he is not on top of pending project items, or he is completely unaware of certain circumstances that hold a project up.

After less than two hours, Perez Garcia was brought back, and Judge Tijerina changed his motion to terminate the engineering director.

A new motion was made to accept the retirement of Perez Garcia.

He will stay in his position until Sept. 30.

We’ll tell you what action was taken in regard to the two other directors, who were also evaluated.

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