It looks like one of our city representatives might be about to run for county judge.
I don’t know if he considers himself part of the 74 percent but he seems to be a proponent of smaller government — government that does those things that it is mandated to do and not much more.
Maybe one of our readers can help clarify this point. I believe that if he does announce his candidacy he will have to resign from city council. Actually state law removes him from office immediately if I am correct.
What will happen to his empty seat? Once again I may be wrong but I think that city council gets to vote to fill his seat. That would be an interesting process.
I think that they have to pick a citizen who has lived in his district for at least six months. I suspect that it will be hard to find someone who will support the downtown crowd openly. The voters in the district seem upset about the disproportionate efforts in downtown.
Maybe we would get a fiscal conservative.
We (the public) need to stay active in this process.
Eternal vigilance is the cost of liberty.
Cato
elpasospeak 
Speaking of downtown, any word on the construction schedule for the new El Paso Chiquitas stadium? Their PR machine has been very quiet lately.
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There is a holdover provision under state law according to Texas Attorney General. The said city representative, if he announces for County Judge on Sunday December 1st at Lunchbox at 3632 Buchner, would remain until June of 2014, that is, after the May general election date. The setting of the city election in May was triggered by the announcement of a local municipal judge running for higher office.
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LIke how you sneaked in the time and place of the announcement! What time?
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The Texas Constitution provides that:
“A municipality so providing a term exceeding two (2) years but not exceeding four (4) years for any of its non-civil service officers must elect all of the members of its governing body by majority vote of the qualified voters in such municipality, and any vacancy or vacancies occurring on such governing body shall not be filled by appointment but must be filled by majority vote of the qualified voters at a special election called for such purpose within one hundred and twenty (120) days after such vacancy or vacancies occur.”
It looks like they will have to have a special election if his announcement triggers an “automatic resignation”.
If he announces with more than 13 months left in his elected term he automatically resigns. He was re-elected in May of 2011 for four years.
The Texas Constitution also provides that he will continue in office as a “hold over” until the new city representative is sworn in.
So it looks like a special election would be in order.
Brutus
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Why did Lozano step down immediately from city council rather than stay through the special election when he ran for county commissioner?
It did not seem like he had the option to stay.
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