CORPUS CHRISTI — The Nueces County Human Resources Director, Julie Guerra, will be reassigned under the Nueces County Sheriff's Office.
On Wednesday, three commissioners voted in favor to reassign Julie Guerra. Robert Hernandez voted nay and County Judge Barbara Canales abstained from the vote.
Guerra’s reassignment came after several resignations from major players in the county.
KRIS 6 investigations found at least two were not qualified for their jobs.
County attorney Jenny Dorsey said Guerra’s transfer was not disciplinary and she would be paid the same salary with the same benefits.
The reason for transferring Guerra wasn’t discussed during the meeting but precinct 4 commissioner Brent Chesney first put the item on the court’s agenda on April 19.
The item, listed as 'Discuss and consider the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of the Human Resources Director, was tabled at least nine times.
“I did it based on an accumulation of things and I feel like it is in the best interest of Nueces County,” Chesney said, “So I cannot say it was one or two or ten or 20 issues. It was, I believe, what was in the best interest of the county.”
Guerra’s reassignment came after Nueces County Chief Medical Examiner Adel Shaker and former deputy chief medical examiner Sandra Lyden were arrested in April on 17 counts of practicing medicine in violation of the Texas Occupations Code.
A KRIS 6 investigation found Lyden did not have alicensein the state of Texas and Shaker knew about it.
In May, Nueces County Fire Marshal, Jose Olivares, resigned shortly after a KRIS 6 investigation into his lack of qualifications for his position.
County attorney Jenny P. Dorsey said Guerra would be working under the Nueces County Sheriffs Office and the position hasn’t been created yet, but it is in the works.
She said the reassignment would not cost the county additional money.
Nueces County Sheriff J.C. Hooper said he wasn’t ready to comment on Guerra’s re-assignment on Wednesday.
Guerra wasn’t present for Wednesday’s vote but county officials said she was on vacation, they were working on notifying her on their decision and have to get her response before they could move forward with posting the HR director position.
Guerra’s employee also said she was out of the office and she wouldn’t be back until next week.
