Sylvia Handy submits resignation in Weslaco

WESLACO —Receptionists at the Hidalgo County Precinct 1 office answered the phones Tuesday by announcing that the caller had reached Commissioner Sylvia Handy’s office.
At the end of the day, it wasn’t her office anymore.
Standing on the front porch of her Weslaco home, Handy announced her resignation Tuesday from the Precinct 1 post she’s held since 1996 when she was elected the county’s first female commissioner. But Handy took no questions from the media after she read a four-minute statement and retreated into her home behind her attorney, Al Alvarez, and her precinct’s chief administrator, Lorie Ochoa.
Handy, who appeared in good spirits as she exchanged pleasantries with reporters before the television cameras were rolling, said “my life has been consumed with work” in managing her precinct’s operations.
“It has been an honor representing you and working for you — experiences I will cherish all of my life,” Handy said, thanking supporters, voters and elected officials in each of her precinct’s cities. She said she looked forward to being a full-time mother and wife.
Handy’s resignation was expected after she pleaded guilty in federal district court Monday to one count of tax evasion and another count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens.
During her plea before U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa, Handy agreed to resign as a condition of remaining out on bond before her sentencing date in June.
Handy’s formal resignation letter addressed to Hidalgo County Judge Rene Ramirez was delivered to his office late Tuesday.
In the three-sentence letter, Handy submits her resignation, asks Ramirez to accept it immediately but no later than April 1 and tells him she’ll be available for assistance during the transition.
Ramirez, who is in Washington D.C. for a conference, said in a statement that he realizes Handy’s decision was a “difficult one.”
“Her decision to resign puts the needs of her family first and allows the Commissioners Court to move forward toward building public trust,” Ramirez said.
Assuring Precinct 1 residents that county services will continue without interruption, Ramirez said he will begin discussions with other members of the Commissioners Court to fill the vacancy left by Handy’s departure.
As the interim county judge, Ramirez is directed by the state’s Local Government Code to appoint a replacement for Handy. Ramirez’s appointment does not require a vote of the court.
But because Handy’s resignation fell before Aug. 20, a special election is needed in November to fill the last two years of Handy’s term. The county’s Republican and Democratic party precinct chairs — who are elected from each of the county’s 140 voting precincts and comprise the executive committee of the party — will be called upon to select the candidates who go before voters on the November ballot.
The Commissioners Court’s first order of business may be to require a full review of Precinct 1 operations.
An agenda item was posted for 5:15 p.m. Friday for the court to discuss whether to hire an outside firm to conduct a management and performance review of the precinct’s operations.
The court could hire a firm to complete the task by April 6.
Handy has long been dogged by accusations of cronyism and corruption.
But despite the charges that have come at Handy since federal agents raided her office in 2007, most of the Precinct 1 employees remain fiercely loyal to her, said Ochoa, who Handy hired as a human resources consultant and recently tasked with leading precinct operations.
Ochoa delivered the signed letter of resignation to the county judge’s office after Handy’s press conference. She is also leading the day-to-day work of the precinct until an interim commissioner is chosen.
“The employees are waiting to find out what’s going to happen next,” said Ochoa, adding that she would have a staff meeting today to discuss the precinct’s future. “A great deal of them thought highly of Commissioner Handy. We’re taking it one day a time.”
Outside the Precinct 1 office where the receptionist took incoming calls, residents who paid vehicle registration fees at the tax office next door largely wouldn’t comment on Handy’s resignation.
A Donna man — who declined to give his name because he said Handy still has a lot of supporters in his neighborhood — said the commissioner betrayed the public’s trust.
“Nobody is above the law,” he said as he sat behind the wheel of his car with the windows rolled down. “Just because you’re in public office doesn’t give you that right.”