By Juan Montoya
If ever there was a mystery in Cameron County government which has been held more closely than the reason for the firing of Franciso Martinez, the county's legal counsel, it's hard to remember what that would be.
![]()
While most county staffers through that the insertion of the item to evaluate his employment, compensation, discipline or possible dismissal was a routine matter periodically inserted at most agenda of the county meetings, the results were stunning.
With a motion by Pct. 4 county commissioner Gus Ruiz, the second by Pct. 1 commissioner Sofia Benavides, and the third "aye" vote by county judge Eddie Treviño, Martinez was history.
Only Pct. 3 commissioner voted "nay" against firing the county lawyer. Pct. 2 commissioner Alex Dominguez attended part of the executive session preceding the commissioners emerging to take a vote on six other item,s and did not cast a vote on the firing.
![]()
Martinez was hired less than a year ago – on Aug. 16, 2016 – during a special meeting. He replaced Bruce Hodge, who retired. Almost everyone thought that person would be interim legal counsel Juan Gonzalez, but at least one commissioner had a different idea.
Pct. 3 commissioner Garza quickly made a motion to offer the opening to Frank Martinez, an Asst. DA to former Cameron County District Attorney Yolanda de Leon.
Pct. 4 commissioner Gus Ruiz seconded the motion and when the vote was called, Pct. 1 commissioner Sofia Benavides and Pct. 2 commissioner Alex Dominguez voted against with Garza and Ruiz being joined in the "ayes" by interim County Judge Pete Sepulveda.
But now it appears that Martinez had lost the support of Ruiz and Benavides, who made the motion and the second, and had not earned the confidence of Treviño. Now it remains to be seen who the majority of the court will appoint to replace Martinez. Will it be the will of the majority? Or will there be a wide search for a replacement before the new budget is passed in October?
Ruiz – an attorney – just came into office March 18, 2016 after he defeated opponent Chino Sanchez for the Pct. 4 seat during the March 1 Democratic primary. Since he had no Republican opponent, he was appointed to fill the seat left vacant by Dan Sanchez nine months early. Dan Sanchez lost to Treviño for the county judge's position. Ruiz was appointed as the legal defense of defendants in the county's veterans court which was presided by Sanchez's brother, David, a district court judge.
Since then, Ruiz has engineered the acceptance of a donation of land from a Harlingen real estate developer to build a new Pct. 4 equipment barn in return for the county extending the utilities to the site and making the developer's land more marketable. In return, the county got the land for free.
As the commissioner who seconded the initial motion less than a year ago to hire Martinez as legal counsel, Ruiz would have seemed an unlikely commissioner to make the motion to fire him now.
And now two of his sons – Gerardo and Gustavo – have joined the offices as clerical staffers in the Cameron County Sheriff's Office after Ruiz became commissioner.
"Were there deals being made?," asked a county staffer. "Up until the day before his firing it appeared that Martinez was getting along with the judge. Who knows what kind of horse trading went on in executive session. This does a disservice to the lawyer and to the public. What could he have done that was so wrong that he would be fired this way? No one expected this."
After Treviño told Martinez the dismissal became effective "immediately," Martinez was escorted out of the county building to the parking lot.
If ever there was a mystery in Cameron County government which has been held more closely than the reason for the firing of Franciso Martinez, the county's legal counsel, it's hard to remember what that would be.
While most county staffers through that the insertion of the item to evaluate his employment, compensation, discipline or possible dismissal was a routine matter periodically inserted at most agenda of the county meetings, the results were stunning.
With a motion by Pct. 4 county commissioner Gus Ruiz, the second by Pct. 1 commissioner Sofia Benavides, and the third "aye" vote by county judge Eddie Treviño, Martinez was history.
Only Pct. 3 commissioner voted "nay" against firing the county lawyer. Pct. 2 commissioner Alex Dominguez attended part of the executive session preceding the commissioners emerging to take a vote on six other item,s and did not cast a vote on the firing.
Martinez was hired less than a year ago – on Aug. 16, 2016 – during a special meeting. He replaced Bruce Hodge, who retired. Almost everyone thought that person would be interim legal counsel Juan Gonzalez, but at least one commissioner had a different idea.Pct. 3 commissioner Garza quickly made a motion to offer the opening to Frank Martinez, an Asst. DA to former Cameron County District Attorney Yolanda de Leon.
Pct. 4 commissioner Gus Ruiz seconded the motion and when the vote was called, Pct. 1 commissioner Sofia Benavides and Pct. 2 commissioner Alex Dominguez voted against with Garza and Ruiz being joined in the "ayes" by interim County Judge Pete Sepulveda.
But now it appears that Martinez had lost the support of Ruiz and Benavides, who made the motion and the second, and had not earned the confidence of Treviño. Now it remains to be seen who the majority of the court will appoint to replace Martinez. Will it be the will of the majority? Or will there be a wide search for a replacement before the new budget is passed in October?
Ruiz – an attorney – just came into office March 18, 2016 after he defeated opponent Chino Sanchez for the Pct. 4 seat during the March 1 Democratic primary. Since he had no Republican opponent, he was appointed to fill the seat left vacant by Dan Sanchez nine months early. Dan Sanchez lost to Treviño for the county judge's position. Ruiz was appointed as the legal defense of defendants in the county's veterans court which was presided by Sanchez's brother, David, a district court judge.
Since then, Ruiz has engineered the acceptance of a donation of land from a Harlingen real estate developer to build a new Pct. 4 equipment barn in return for the county extending the utilities to the site and making the developer's land more marketable. In return, the county got the land for free.
As the commissioner who seconded the initial motion less than a year ago to hire Martinez as legal counsel, Ruiz would have seemed an unlikely commissioner to make the motion to fire him now.
And now two of his sons – Gerardo and Gustavo – have joined the offices as clerical staffers in the Cameron County Sheriff's Office after Ruiz became commissioner.
"Were there deals being made?," asked a county staffer. "Up until the day before his firing it appeared that Martinez was getting along with the judge. Who knows what kind of horse trading went on in executive session. This does a disservice to the lawyer and to the public. What could he have done that was so wrong that he would be fired this way? No one expected this."
After Treviño told Martinez the dismissal became effective "immediately," Martinez was escorted out of the county building to the parking lot.