Carlos Valdez
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Anna Jimenez
Well, where do we start? Carlos Valdez, longtime County DA retires and is immediately hired by Corpus Chrsit City Manager Angel Escobar. with no preliimnary searches or other candidates even considered, to be the new city attorney. This is approved by a vote on the city council and is done in record time.
Then Governor Rick Perry appoints Republican Anna Jimenez to fill Valdez' former position on an interim basis until the next elections when the position will be voted on by the public.
Jimenez immediately shakes up the DA's office, demoting some longtime staff attorneys, like Mark Skurka, who has worked in the department for 23 years, thus causing them to take large salary cuts. She also hired a private attorney to become her assistant and promoted other staff members within the department. Two former prosecutors resigned rather than take the pay cuts or the reassignment.
Jimenez has worked there for 4 years.
County Judge Loyd Neal allowed Jimenez to do this without advertising the jobs for seven days, which the county requires, under an exemption rule which allows the County Judge to give verbal approval for such changes.
The question is, does an interim appointment, with much less tenure or experience, have the authority and know how to so drastically overturn this department?.
Mark Skurka
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