Hidalgo County Commissioners Court Hears Calls to Address Deputy Pay, Passes October Awareness Proclamations
Hidalgo County, Commissioners Court, Sheriff’s Deputies, Domestic Violence, Breast Cancer, Prescription Drug Takeback, Peer Support, Community Planning, Elections, McAllen
Arnoldo Mata
Edinburg TX – Residents and a law enforcement advocacy group urged the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to address a pay gap facing sheriff’s deputies, while the court approved a series of October awareness proclamations and acted on dozens of agenda items during its regular meeting.
Deputy Pay Concerns Dominate Public Forum
Fern McClarty, a frequent public commenter, told the court that elected officials had undermined their own credibility by approving significant salary increases for themselves while deputies remain underpaid.
“By increasing the salaries of elected officials, commissioners said we are more important than you and there is nothing you can do about it,” McClarty said. “By this action, you have nullified all the good stuff y’all have accomplished because it can be said that they are only doing it for the money.”
Editor’s Note: The Edinburg Advocate investigated this issue when it first came up. Through a Public Information Request, The Edinburg Advocate determined that the Hidalgo County Judge and Commissioners only received a 5% salary increase for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The County Judge’s salary is now $145,030 in 2026, and commissioners’ base salary is now $124,311.
McClarty also called on the court to resolve salary issues with Hidalgo County Sheriff’s deputies.
JP Rodriguez, speaking on behalf of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Association, said deputies are behind an average of $10,000 to $15,000 in base pay compared to competing agencies and are leaving for better-paying positions elsewhere.
“The burden that these men and women carry every day to protect your constituents is a heavy burden,” Rodriguez said. “Please take care of the men and women in uniform.”
Rodriguez said the association last lobbied for pay increases in 2023 and requested additional meetings with the court to work toward a resolution. No action was taken on the matter during the meeting.
McClarty also raised questions during the consent agenda review about tax refunds over $2,500, a supply order she said included football stress relievers, and approximately $2,000 in Precinct 4 spending described as increasing employee morale.
October Awareness Proclamations
The court approved five proclamations recognizing October awareness observances, presented with remarks from community organizations.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was declared for October 2026. Rebecca Erica Moreno, director of practice operations for Texas Oncology RGV, urged women in the Rio Grande Valley to know their risk, speak with their health care providers, and stay current on screenings. The American Cancer Society estimates 321,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States in 2026, along with an estimated 42,670 deaths among women.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month was declared for October 2026. Amy Biona, chief of the domestic violence unit for the Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, said 1,216 victims have applied for a protective order through the DA’s office so far in 2026. She noted that more than 70 percent of domestic violence homicides occur after a victim has tried to end a relationship. Sonia Enriquez, a board member for Mujeres and a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault, also addressed the court.
“It took me 15 years to come out to my family, my friends, my peers to let them know I was a survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault,” Enriquez said. “When we share our stories, we’re able to save someone else’s life.”
National Prescription Drug Takeback Day (Oct. 24) and Red Ribbon Week (Oct. 23–31) were recognized in a combined proclamation. HIDTA Task Force Commander Juan Fuentes noted that disposal boxes are available at police departments in Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr, San Juan, Palmview, Mission, Weslaco, Donna, Alton, La Joya, and Mercedes, as well as at the Hidalgo County Precinct 4 Constable’s office and the Pharr Public Library. More than 1,287 pounds of unused prescription medications were collected during the April 2026 takeback event.
Peer Support Awareness Week (Oct. 12–16) was declared, with Oct. 14 recognized as Hidalgo County Peer Support Awareness Day and Oct. 15 as Global Peer Support Awareness Day. Elsa Roma of Connection Center RGV accepted the proclamation on behalf of the Hidalgo County Mental Health Coalition.
National Community Planning Month was recognized for October 2026. Planning Director Anthony Wes said the department is on pace to conduct more than 10,000 inspections this year, process 60 subdivisions, and serve approximately 25,000 visitors across its offices. Board members Leonel Garza and Manuel Canu were recognized for more than 20 years of service on the Subdivision Development Board.
Elections Update
Elections Administrator Hilda presented an update on preparations for the Nov. 3 general and local entities elections. Early voting runs Oct. 19 through Oct. 30 at 32 locations, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except Sunday, Oct. 25, when hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A total of 19 local elections are on the ballot. Voters can access sample ballots and polling locations at www.hidalgocounty.us/elections.
The court also approved the central counting station personnel for the Nov. 3 election, with Laurel McCleas as presiding judge and Armando Arichica as alternate judge. A memorandum of understanding with Region One Education Service Center for poll worker recruitment was approved at no cost to the county.
Sheriff’s Office
The court approved a Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority Task Force Grant for fiscal year 2027 in the amount of $679,257 with a county match of $135,851. Participating agencies include Mercedes Police Department, Busolt Police Department, and Palmview Police Department. The court also approved a memorandum of understanding with South Texas ISD Police Department for use of the HCSO shooting range and authorized jail commissary salary appropriations of $161,591.25 for the third quarter of 2026.
Drainage District
Earlier in the morning, the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 board approved amendments to memoranda of understanding with the cities of La Villa, Mercedes, and Progresso for drainage improvement projects funded through the Texas General Land Office. The amendments clarify responsibilities related to real property acquisition and establish construction payment procedures in accordance with GLO requirements.
The board also received an announcement that a groundbreaking for a Willacy County partner program project is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. the same day. District staff noted they will present on the water reclamation project as an alternative water resource at a forum in San Antonio the following day.
Other Action
Among other items approved by the commissioners court:
The court authorized the Hidalgo County Head Start program to negotiate a health insurance contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield, effective January 2027.
A memorandum of understanding between the county and Communities and Schools of Hidalgo County was approved to provide counseling for low-income students. A resolution supporting Amigos del Valle’s application for a Texas Department of Agriculture home-delivery meal program grant was also approved.
The court accepted a federal RSVP grant amendment for the Community Service Agency totaling $300,166 and approved the Edinburgh Conference Center at Renaissance as the venue and On the Grill as the caterer for the Strive Rise & Thrive Gala scheduled for Nov. 5. The court also approved Foretell, an AI answering service, as a vendor for the Community Service Agency following a request for proposal process.
For Precinct 1, the court accepted a counter offer on parcels 125 and 126 for the Mile 6 West road improvement project and awarded the Model 2 West road project to the Texas Department of Transportation-recommended bidder for $6,610,885.
The court approved a roof replacement contract at Annex 3 to Rio United Builders for up to $370,823 and authorized a personal service agreement with Roxana Ramirez Cisneros of Tree of Life Healing Center for health and wellness consulting at $50 per event.
Insurance settlements of $6,158.91 from Progressive Insurance and $339.36 from State Farm were accepted for county vehicle accidents.
Commissioner Villarreal announced the 6th Annual Cancer Awareness Walk will be held Saturday at 8 a.m. at Weslaco City Hall. The event is free and open to the public, covering a mile-and-a-half route.