Commissioners approve new countywide positions

EDINBURG - Most industries are shedding jobs, but Hidalgo County is bulking up.

On Tuesday, the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court approved creating more than 50 new countywide positions that will go into effect at the beginning of the new year.

Nearly all of the positions are related to the county's $26 million drainage improvement plan it launched in November.

As part of the plan, the county precincts are hiring for 51 positions - ranging from a $65,000-a-year director of operations to a $20,000-a-year construction worker - to work on countywide projects designed to improve drainage, including retention pond and ditch cleanup projects.

Raul~Silguero, the chief administrator of the county's budget division, said the drainage jobs are part of about 60 new positions included in the 2009 budget that goes into effect Thursday.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Sylvia Handy said the new hires will start work to address drainage issues Hurricane Dolly revealed in July when the storm flooded much of the county.

All positions are expected to be filled by hurricane season, which starts June 1.

Handy said the jobs will be good opportunities for county residents, including about 200 Edcouch-Elsa school district employees who were laid off earlier this year due to financial shortfalls.

Located in Handy's precinct, the Edcouch-Elsa school system is the largest employer in the Delta region.

"I'm sure these positions will be highly sought after," she said. "It will be good to have some jobs available to help them out."

Once the drainage improvements are complete, most of the hires will go to work maintaining the system for Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1, Silguero said.