Cameron County officials want public’s feedback on property tax rates

(NOTE correction in fourth paragraph)

BROWNSVILLE - Cameron County commissioners want to hear from the public before they decide whether to increase property taxes by two cents.

Also discussed at this week's Commissioners Court meeting was the county budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and whether raising property taxes from 34 cents to 36 cents per $100 valuation would balance the budget.

The proposed budget is about $67.8 million, which includes $1,000 across-the-board raises for all county employees, excluding Commissioners Court.

(CORRECTION: The budget does not include $1,000 across-the-board raises for all county employees as stated in previous sentence)

County Judge Carlos H. Cascos said commissioners chose not to be included in the pay raise proposal.

Public hearings on the proposed tax increase are set for Monday and Sept. 2.

Commissioners also approved creation of a committee that will clarify the duties of the court interpreters. The committee consists of a member of the District Attorney's Office, county administrator's office, the district judges and court interpreters.

District Attorney Armando Villalobos said his office is having trouble with interpreters because they are refusing to interpret videotapes, audio recordings and statements for his office without additional compensation.

"We are meeting severe resistance," he said during this week's meeting, adding that in some cases the District Attorney's Office is paying an additional $2,000 to $3,000 for translations of case information.

"We are going to go bankrupt" if the office has to continue paying these additional fees, Villalobos said.

Since December, his office has paid $40,000 to the interpreters for translation services.

Because more police departments are recording  interviews with suspects on video and audio, the departments are turning over untranslated disks and tapes, Villalobos said.

The district attorney said the work requested of the interpreters could be done during regular working hours because they are not needed in court "eight hours a day."

Precinct 4 Commissioner Edna Tamayo wanted to know who supervises the interpreters.

Cascos said paying the court interpreters additional money gives the appearance of "double dipping."

"I don't think it's right paying someone twice for one hour's work," Cascos said.