Dozens of local and state leaders packed into the Hidalgo County Commissioners’ Court Tuesday morning to witness a swift ceremony where the re-elected county judge took his oath of office administered by a state senator.
Richard F. Cortez defeated a republican candidate in last year’s general election and two democratic challengers during the primaries before he was re-elected to serve for his second four-year term.
Texas Sen. Jesus ‘Chuy’ Hinojosa administered the oath of office and the Hidalgo County Sheriff, J.E. ‘Eddie’ Guerra, emceed the ceremony on Tuesday.
“We’ve been through a lot in the last four years. Who’d have ever known that we’d be going through a pandemic, hurricane, flooding, but here we are,” Richard F. Cortez, Hidalgo County judge, said, reflecting on the past four years before the packed audience.
“Going forward, our future is going to depend on what we do for each other,” he added.
Hinojosa praised Cortez on the work he did, specifically with the pandemic, but he looked forward to the work ahead of them.
“He’s been a good leader, but his focus is on infrastructure — on drainage, making sure that we slow down the growth of colonias, making sure that the communities have the proper transportation system in place,” Hinojosa said. “We, as a state, coordinate with the judge. We cannot work in isolation, so we have to work very well with the county judge.”
Cortez’s expanded on his vision for his next term.
“I’m going to pay a lot of attention to the Prosperity Task Force that I created because I think that the best thing we can do for ourselves is to invest in ourselves and create human capital,” Cortez said.
One of the main goals of the task force created last year addresses persistent poverty in Hidalgo County while leveraging the potential of a burgeoning workforce.
“Do you know that we graduate more high school students every year than what 15 other states graduate?” the judge asked during his speech. “That’s important for the whole United States looking for a labor force.”
The judge’s goals are familiar to his colleagues, including Commissioner Eduardo ‘Eddie’ Cantu, who appreciated the continuity afforded by an election that kept the same members in place.
“We’ve already been working together. We know what’s really important to each of us, how we want to accomplish things for our area. So we can move past the introductions and get straight to work,” Cantu said.
Cantu and Cortez are working toward a shared goal: “We want higher paying jobs, higher level jobs, higher-thinking skills jobs, those are really important because that improves our community as a whole,” Cantu said. “It provides upward mobility for people who start off on entry-level jobs.”
Continued efforts on the prosperity task force and infrastructure enhancement led Cortez to a renewed commitment with constituents.
“So, what do we need to do to help? We need to attract outside investments to be able to bring the type of jobs that we need here,” Cortez said. “So that as we balance the creation of human capital, we match it with a job. That’s what I pledge to you.”
