NEWS — Three constables take oaths of office

By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times

Three county constables took their oaths of office on New Year’s Day.

A swearing-in ceremony for nine elected officials was held in the second-floor courtroom
of the historic Val Verde County Courthouse.

Among the officials sworn in were Constable Pct. 2 Daniel Reyes Jr., Constable Pct. 3
Michael Wancho and Constable Pct. 4 Gerardo “Jerry” Hernandez.
Other elected officials sworn in were District Attorney Suzanne West, Sheriff Joe Frank
Martinez, County Attorney David Martinez, County Tax Assessor Collector Elodia
“Loly” Garcia, County Commissioner Pct. 1 Kerr Wardlaw and County Commissioner
Pct. 3 Fernando Garcia.

County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. and County Clerk Teresa Esther Chapoy made

opening remarks as the ceremony began. About 175 persons attended the event.

Daniel Reyes

Reyes was the first of the constables to be sworn in.
County Court-at-Law Judge Sergio Gonzalez administered the oath of office as Reyes’
mother, Olga Reyes, held the Bible.

Reyes, who is entering his second term, spoke about what the swearing-in ceremony
meant to him.

“This day means a lot to me. Working in this position gives me the opportunity to serve
the community, to do the best I can. There’s always something out there that needs to be
done, people that need to be helped. I’m excited. It’s a new year, and I want to see what’s
ahead,” he said.

Reyes also spoke about the work he is planning for his office.
“We’re looking at the struggles that people have, and we want to be an office where we
tell people, ‘Hey, we’re here to assist you,’ to try to get them refocus on the future, to let
them know there’s always something new ahead, try to give people some hope,” Reyes
said.

He said dealing with evictions, particularly those of women with children and of disabled
persons, is especially difficult.

“In one case, I reached out to some local pastors that were willing to help, as far as
getting them a room at a motel, instead of just putting them out on the street. You get
some very challenging situations,” Reyes added.

In another situation, involving a person on dialysis, Reyes said he visited with the judge
to try and give the person a little more time to make alternate living arrangements.

“A lot of people think the courts are there just for punishment,

but for me, they’re also
there to help, to give people a little hope,” Reyes said.

Michael Wancho

Second of the constables to be sworn in was Constable Pct. 3 Michael Wancho, for whom
the swearing-in ceremony was particularly sweet.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for more than five years, from the first campaign that
started in 2019, to losing my first election by a handful of votes in 2020. It means
everything to me. I’ve worked so hard for it, and my constituents know how hard I’ve
worked for it,” Wancho said.

He added he is happy that he will finally be able to show Precinct 3 residents how much
the position of constable means to him.

“I want to show them what I can do for them and give them a constable they can depend
on, that they can call for anything,” he said.

Wancho said he is also looking forward to assisting other local law enforcement agencies
like the sheriff’s office.

“I want the sheriff’s office, Joe Frank, to know I am here to help. I worked there for
many years, and Joe Frank has always been there for me, and I will be there to help them
also,” Wancho said.

Wancho was sworn in by Justice of the Peace Pct. 3 Pat Cole. Wancho was joined by his
father Andy Wancho, his partner Whitney Montgomery and the

couple’s child, Hadley
Wancho, and several other family members.

Gerardo “Jerry” Hernandez

Hernandez was the last of the constables to be sworn in.

Hernandez is beginning his third term as the Precinct 4 constable.

He spoke to The 830 Times following the ceremony and said, “I’ve been serving the
public here for 30-plus years, and that’s all I really know how to do. It’s very rewarding
position I have, because I feel I can really contribute to the community in a very positive
manner.

“Of course there’s negative things about the job, but there’s a win every time I come into
contact with a constituent in my precinct. It’s those interactions that are so positive,” Hernandez added.

He said there are changes in his job during every term, and he sees a small sampling of
larger trends.

“I’ve seen that evictions are affecting younger people, our younger generations. It’s
important to me in situations like that to let people know that help is out there. Then
we’ve got our mental health issues, and we see it, and we need to make sure we don’t
drop the ball. We’ve got to work with them,” Hernandez said.

Cole administered the oath of office to Hernandez. He was joined by his wife Griselda
Hernandez and his daughter, Chelsey Whipkey.

The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .