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EDINBURG — A standing-room-only crowd murmured with excitement in the small, cramped boardroom of the Hidalgo County Appraisal District offices Wednesday evening just as someone said it was time to officially welcome “Charlie’s Angels.”
The comment alluding to the fictional crime-fighting private eyes referred to three women — Erica E. Canales, Karina Cardoza and Veronica “Ronnie” Ontiveros — whom Hidalgo County voters recently elected in a first-of-its-kind election.
In May, voters selected the trio from a slate of seven candidates to fill three newly created seats on the Hidalgo County Appraisal District Board of Directors.
It was the first time in the 40-year history of appraisal districts that Texas voters were able to select who represents them on the governing bodies that determine their property values.
Thanks to Senate Bill 2, which the Texas Legislature approved during a special session last July, large counties — those with populations over 70,000 — are now required to expand their boards of directors to a total of nine members.
Of those, five continue to be selected by the taxing entities within their jurisdiction, while a county’s chief appraiser serves as a non-voting “ex officio” member.
But for the first time, residents living in large counties are able to directly choose three people to be their voice on the previously impenetrable boards.
Noe Gonzalez, who presides over the 370th state District Court and also serves as the county’s administrative local presiding judge, underscored how momentous the election was.
“I congratulate you for this position. It is a position of importance. It is a position of honor, and I congratulate you for that,” Gonzalez said, shortly before administering the oath of office to Canales and Cardoza.
Judge Fernando Mancias, of the 93rd state District Court, administered the oath to Ontiveros.
Gonzalez also noted that it’s the first time women will be serving on the board, and urged its existing members to heed their unique perspective.
“They’re gonna have a different perspective, a strong perspective,” Gonzalez said.
“Those of you that have mothers and sisters know how hard it is to deal with that perspective, but it’s a perspective that’s necessary. It’s a perspective that’s welcomed in our community because it’s a strong perspective,” he added.
As family and friends celebrated and enjoyed light refreshments in the foyer after the meeting, all three women expressed their thanks to voters for giving them a chance to serve in their novel offices.
Both Canales and Cardoza spoke of how they hope to bring transparency and better public engagement to a governing body that few people understand.
“One of my primary goals is definitely transparency,” Canales said.
“I believe that people need to know what’s going on, and it’s a department that basically has been closed doors where people haven’t had much involvement,” she added.
Cardoza echoed those sentiments, saying she hopes to help residents understand how the appraisal and valuation protest process works.
“I know we have a big responsibility, but we are certainly going to keep the public informed on what’s going on because that’s what we were elected to do,” Cardoza said.
“It’s going to be a learning curve at first … but I hope to communicate that to the public as often as I can,” she added a moment later.
The board of directors do not decide property valuations — that power is reserved for the chief appraiser.
Nor does the board hear or decide on valuation protests. That responsibility is borne by a separate group of people — the appraisal review board, or ARB.
However, the appraisal district board of directors is responsible for appointing the chief appraiser and the ARB members. It also sets the appraisal district’s annual operating budget.
But Ontiveros hopes that the board will be able to take on one more role in the near future — that of impacting legislative change.
“We have some things that we would like to get accomplished, such as having foreclosures as part of the protesting ability. And we want to hopefully encompass that since we cannot use foreclosures to protest right now,” Ontiveros said after Wednesday’s meeting adjourned.
“That’s something we’re looking forward to trying to advocate for at a state level,” she added.
Meanwhile, as the trio got their first look at how board meetings progress, they also had an opportunity to hear their first public comments.
“Well, history was made today and I am so glad to see you girls. And I expect a lot from you because the others are not elected by the voters. They are elected by the taxing entities, so you all have to prove yourselves because you’re the voters’ voice,” Fern McClaugherty, the sole resident who signed up to make a comment, said.
McClaugherty is a frequent attendee of public meetings and a member of the Objective Watchers of the Legal System, or OWLS — a citizen watchdog group that aims to keep elected officials accountable to their constituents.
“I just hope that you all do remember the people that live here in Hidalgo County and try to take better care of us because there’s so much going on. Thank you for being here, girls, and I’m so glad you won,” McClaugherty said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the name of the judge that administered the oath of office to Veronica “Ronnie” Ontiveros.
