EDINBURG — Hidalgo County’s incoming commissioner will be sworn-in Friday during a virtual ceremony.
Precinct 3 Commissioner-elect Everardo “Ever” Villarreal will be sworn in by state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and Pastor Juan de La Garza, county officials announced Tuesday.
The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. but will be closed to the general public. Instead, well-wishers can watch it unfold on the county’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/hidalgocounty.
Villarreal replaces Commissioner Joe Flores, who lost the March Primary to Villarreal by 92 votes. Flores subsequently filed a lawsuit against Villarreal, alleging western Hidalgo County residents were paid to vote for Villarreal.
Visiting Judge Manuel Banales ultimately sided with Villarreal, though he acknowledged some votes were cast illegally. Those votes, however, were not enough to sway the election, the judge ruled.
On Tuesday, Villarreal spoke about his beginnings, focusing on his professional development as a contractor.
“At a very young age, I understood the value of hard work and the importance of building a good foundation,” Villarreal said in the news release. “As a construction worker, I installed drywall, layered shingles on rooftops, poured concrete slabs, cleaned the construction grounds, and assisted foremen wherever needed.”
It was then that he realized he wanted to make a career out of building homes and commercial buildings, Villarreal added.
By age 22, the McAllen High School graduate had built his first apartment building, he said, noting he also graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with a bachelor’s in criminal justice.
“Ever since, I have focused my career on building homes and commercial buildings within my community. I find it rewarding when I drive through a subdivision and see families thriving,” he said. “It gives me great satisfaction to know that I helped families by building their homes.”
Today, he said he continues to build single-family, multi-family, and commercial developments.
