Salinas named federal administrator

EDINBURG — Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas accepted an appointment to a federal post Friday, ending weeks of speculation about his future in the position he was elected to three years ago.

Salinas was named a regional administrator with the U.S. General Services Administration, a position he sought earlier this year with support from U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi.

The General Services Administration acts as a landlord and provides other support services for the federal government.

Salinas, whose position will be based in Forth Worth, will oversee property in five states. He’ll start in that job Nov. 9.

The announcement was confirmed by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, Friday afternoon.

A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m.

As the administrator for the GSA in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma, Salinas will be responsible for 1,350 government-owned buildings.

Salinas has been rumored to be leaving his position for the appointment for months, but it's been delayed by the White House's ambitious legislative agenda and a lengthy vetting and confirmation process.

The regional position to which Salinas has been linked doesn’t require Senate confirmation.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Oscar Garza, a close ally of Salinas on the court, said his judge’s tenure was marked by the largest influx of federal grants in the county’s history.

Salinas used a steady hand to guide Hidalgo County in the contentious border fence debate and found compromise in the levee-wall solution, Garza said. The levee-fence is part of $330 million in spending on the county’s levee system during his three years in office.

But Salinas showed his ability as an administrator when he guided the county through Hurricane Dolly, Garza said. After the storm, Salinas locked four engineers in a room and told them they couldn’t come out until they found a way to deal with the massive flooding.

“You really know the character of a person when they’re in a pressure situation,” Garza said. “He really came through during Dolly.”

Salinas’ imminent departure leaves former County Judge Ramon Garcia as his likely successor.

Garcia is the only announced candidate for March's primary.

An interim county judge will be needed to fill the remainder of Salinas' term that runs until January 2011.

That appointment could come as early as next week.