‘No official misconduct'
Use of Webb County resources dismissed
LareDOS takes exception

María Eugenia Guerra

Publisher

Webb County Attorney Homero Ramirez has dismissed Commissioner Frank Sciaraffa's use of county resources -- employees on the clock and a vehicle issued to the County Utilities Department – to pick up donation checks for scholarships or to pick up checks for a cartulina advertising a scholarship dance.

LareDOS takes issue with that dismissal.

Ramirez said after a three-day investigation that he found “no official misconduct” on the part of Commissioner Sciaraffa for ordering Sara Jo Davila, to pick up checks for him while she was on the clock. Ramirez added that what he saw was “poor judgment by Sciaraffa and some of his volunteers.”

Poor judgment? Utilities Systems Manager Johnny Amaya was on the clock when he and Davila were burning up county fuel in a county truck!

Sciaraffa admitted to the County Attorney and to Pro 8 News that he had told Davila to run those errands on the clock. Poor judgment? That's an abuse of taxpayer resources that don't belong to him.

Amaya driving Davila around for a couple of hours while she picked up checks for Sciaraffa? No official misconduct? Poor judgment? You would think a veteran of county employment who also happens to serve as a Laredo City Council member for District IV would have those two concepts wired.

The County Attorney 's dismissal of Sciaraffa's actions is tantamount to issuing an edict that you can use county resources until you get caught, and even then you could be exonerated if you provide enough versions of the story.

Ramirez's decision gives license to judges to continue to use constables and office personnel to sell and deliver tickets for fundraising birthday parties, and for others like Comm. Sciaraffa and Amaya, to help themselves to manpower and vehicles on the county nickel.

LareDOS wants to see the statute that gives any elected official authority to get away with what Comm. Sciaraffa is getting away with in this instance. He is contrite, he had no bad intentions, and he was collecting for what ostensibly was a noble cause.

Where is it written you can use county resources for private use if you have good intentions and are working toward a noble cause; and that if you get caught, fess up and are contrite, you will be exonerated?