[00:00:08]
[I. Call to Order]
GOOD AFTERNOON.WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 12TH, 2025 MEETING THE BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
WE'VE BEEN INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES AND MOVING CLOSER IN OUR PROCESS TO MAKING A FINAL SELECTION.
TODAY WE WILL HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION FROM ROBERT HALF EXECUTIVE SEARCH MANAGING PARTNER, KATIE MAYOR, TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW AND A RECAP OF OUR COLLECTIVE SHARED PROCESS.
THEN WE'LL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DELIBERATE ON PERSONAL MATTERS REGARDING THE EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR THE POSITION OF ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL CALL TO ORDER AND CALL ROLL, UH, COUNTY CLERK LUCIA LAR.
CHRIS C***S, PRESENT DEMOCRATIC CHAIR.
MICHELLE LOSIS, PRESENT TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR AUBREE HERE.
PRESENT, UH, A QUORUMS MIETTE.
[II. Approval of meeting minutes from February 10, 2025 meeting]
WILL TAKE UP AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.I'LL LAST THAT YOU PLEASE REVIEW THE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 10TH, 2025 MEETING.
I'LL LAST FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE.
DO Y'ALL NEED FURTHER TIME TO REVIEW OR HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? ANY CORRECTIONS? ARE WE PREPARED TO VOTE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNAL.
ANY OPPOSED, ANY ABSTENTIONS? MOTION CARRIES, UH,
[III. Public comment]
PUBLIC COMMENTS CITIZEN TO BE HEARD.THOSE THAT ARE SIGNED UP, I'LL START WITH, UH, LINDA MAL DEDO.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, MS. LINDA, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
MY NAME IS LINDA MALDONADO AND I AM WITH THE BEX COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
I'M THE SECRETARY OF THE ELECTION INTEGRITY AND VOTER PROTECTION COMMITTEE.
PREVIOUSLY, I WAS THE CO-CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE.
I APPRECIATE, UH, THAT THE BEAR COUNTY ELECTIONS COMMISSION HAS BEEN HOLDING THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UM, I BELIEVE PRIOR TO JANUARY, 2024, THEY DID NOT HOLD THESE MEETINGS FOR A LONG PERIOD, MAYBE 10 OR 15 YEARS.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE INPUT.
UM, THE ELECTION INTEGRITY VOTER PROTECTION COMMITTEE HAS NUMEROUS RESPONSIBILITIES.
ONE OF THESE IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES IS TO RECRUIT ELECTION JUDGES AND CLERKS.
THIS PROCESS IS A DUAL PROCESS AND IT REQUIRES EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION WITH BARE ELECTIONS.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, BEAR ELECTIONS AND THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DETERMINE THE POLLING SITES.
FROM THERE, IT'S DETERMINED HOW MANY JUDGES AND CLERKS WE MEET.
ALSO, BEAR ELECTIONS PROVIDES THE TRAINING FOR THESE JUDGES AND CLERKS.
SO WE HAVE TO RECRUIT THEM AND THEN REFER THEM TO BEAR ELECTIONS FOR TRAINING.
THIS REQUIRES, UM, GOOD COMMUNICATION ON BEAR ELECTIONS PART, LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THERE IS TRAINING, PROVIDING TRAINING, AND JUST ALLOWING THAT TRAINING, YOU KNOW, LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT THAT.
AN EXAMPLE OF THE COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN OR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN MARCH OF 2024, JUST A FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO THE PRIMARY.
FIRST OF ALL, THERE WAS NOT MUCH TRAINING AND WE WERE SHORT ELECTION JUDGES AND WE DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE WE WERE SCRAMBLING, COULDN'T FIND THESE JUDGES.
AND EVENTUALLY NUMEROUS SITES WERE CLOSED ON PRIMARY DAY.
FORTUNATELY, THINGS TURNED AROUND FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
BUT JUST, JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.
SO ANYWAYS, ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HOLDING THESE MEETINGS AND IT WOULD ALSO BE VERY HELPFUL TO HOLD THESE QUARTERLY SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE INPUT JUST SO YOU GUYS, SO THAT THE ELECTION COMMISSION KNOWS WHERE WE'RE AT AND IF WE NEED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO BEAR ELECTIONS OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ISSUE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING THESE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I JUST WANNA THANK MS. MALDONA FOR COMING BY.
SHE'S ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT IS VERY INVOLVED IN THE ELECTION PROCESS AND WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
MR. CHAIRMAN OF MIKE HEAD? YES, MS. LINDA.
I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT A POINT TO COME DOWN HERE AND BE VERY VOCAL AND VOICE THE IMPORTANCE OF US MEETING IN THE FUTURE.
IT MEANS A LOT TO US THAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY CARES OF WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN FOR BEXAR COUNTY.
UH, MY NAME IS HEATHER ECHLIN.
I'M THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF YOUTH DO VOTE.
I'VE BEEN UP HERE A FEW TIMES FOR COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
UM, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS PROCESS.
[00:05:01]
UM, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO SEE WHO YOU ALL HAVE SELECTED AND WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO BEGIN WORKING WITH THIS NEW PERSON.UM, WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS AND I WANT TO COME HERE TODAY TO ASK, UM, THE NEW ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR IF HE OR HE OR SHE, UM, WOULD BE WILLING TO WORK WITH US TO HOST A MEET AND GREET WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
WE WORK PREDOMINANTLY WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, BUT ALSO WE RECRUIT COLLEGE STUDENTS TO WORK ELECTIONS.
SO WE WOULD LOVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT AND ALSO A TOUR FOR OUR STUDENTS TO START THINGS OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT WITH THEIR YOUNGEST VOTERS AND POLL WORKERS AND OPEN THAT DOOR FOR THEM.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN RECRUITING STUDENT ELECTION CLERKS YEAR ROUND.
I WAS JUST AT SOUTHWEST ISD ON MONDAY, WHICH IS WHY I COULDN'T BE HERE ON MONDAY.
UM, I PRESENTED ABOUT 50 STUDENTS AND ABOUT A DOZEN OF THEM CAME OUT TO ME AND SAID THEY WANTED TO WORK ELECTIONS.
SO AS I WALKED AWAY, I WAS BOTH EXCITED AND OVERWHELMED LIKE, OKAY, I NEED MORE JUDGES ON THE SOUTH SIDE WHO ARE WILLING TO HIRE STUDENTS.
SO THAT'S A BIG EDUCATION THAT THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR HOPEFULLY CAN HELP WITH.
I RECRUIT THEM BASICALLY MYSELF, GRASSROOTS STYLE.
UM, A LOT OF JUDGES DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN HIRE STUDENTS, THAT THEY CAN HIRE THEM AT THE AGE OF 16.
AND A LOT OF TIMES I'LL GET LOOKS LIKE, ARE YOU SURE THAT'S LEGAL? I'M LIKE, IT'S PERFECTLY LEGAL.
IT'S FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
SO I JUST WANT SUPPORT FROM THE NEW ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR TO INFORM THOSE JUDGES.
WE ARE HAPPY TO CONTINUE RECRUITING.
I'M A THIRD GENERATION POLL WORKER, SO IT'S A PASSION OF MINE.
UM, BUT WE WANT THAT SUPPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, WE RECRUITED, I THINK WE PLACED ABOUT, THERE WERE 38 STUDENT ELECTION CLERKS THAT WERE HIRED FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION AND I PERSONALLY PLACED 22 OF THOSE WITH JUDGES.
SO I'VE BUILT MY NETWORK NOT ONLY OF STUDENTS, BUT OF JUDGES WHO LOVE HIRING THE STUDENTS.
I'VE NEVER HAD A STUDENT SAY, I DON'T WANNA DO IT AGAIN.
I'VE NEVER HAD A JUDGE SAY, I DON'T WANNA HIRE A STUDENT AGAIN.
MORE OFTEN THEY COME BACK AND SAY, I WANT CATHERINE AGAIN, OR I WANT TIMOTHY AGAIN.
AND SO I ALREADY HAVE ABOUT THREE STUDENTS WHO ON THEIR OWN HAVE REACHED OUT TO THEIR JUDGES AND SAID, CAN I WORK THE MAY ELECTION WITH YOU? SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT STUDENTS ARE FIRED UP, THEY'RE NOT APATHETIC.
WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE OPENING THOSE DOORS FOR THEM AND INFORMING THEM ABOUT THE PROCESS AND GIVING THEM ACCESS.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND I'M SO EXCITED TO KEEP WORKING WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATOR.
I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND BE THE ADVOCATE FOR OUR YOUTH.
OUR YOUTH ARE, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY SO FOR YOU TO ADVOCATE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO EDUCATING OUR ADULTS WHO DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY CAN LOOK TO THEM.
SO IT STARTS FROM THE BOTTOM UP.
SO WHEN YOU ADVOCATE THROUGH OUR YOUTH, IT'LL GO BACK TO THE OLDER GENERATION TO COME BACK TO THE POLLS.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS COMMISSION IS VERY, VERY, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT IS REACHING OUT TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE BIG REQUIREMENTS IS GOING TO BE THAT THEY CONTACT THE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND TRY TO GET OUR PEOPLE, UH, TO BE INVOLVED AND TO REGISTER, BUT ALSO TO, TO LOOK FOR 16 YEAR OLDS THAT WANNA WORK THE POLLS.
AND WE'VE LEARNED THAT ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS BE 16.
ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S SIGNED UP TO BE HEARD? THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO WRITTEN SLIPS THAT I'VE GOT AND WE'LL PUT 'EM ON THE RECORD.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? HEARING NONE.
[V. Overview and recap of Robert Half Executive Search process for the Election Administrator search]
ITEM FOUR, OVERVIEW RECAP.POP ROBERT HALF EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROCESS FOR THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR SEARCH.
UH, KATIE LAME WILL BE JOINING US.
AND I THINK, KATIE, CAN YOU HEAR US? KATIE? BOB? I SAID BOB RIGHT? CAN Y'ALL HEAR US? NO, THE LITTLE MIC.
DO, DO I NEED DO WHAT? DO WHAT DO WE NEED? MR. NOAH THERE.
OKAY, LET'S, WE'RE GETTING THE MICS PASSED OUT, SO HERE WE GO.
TURN UP THEIR, GIVE US A TEST.
ONE, TWO, SEE IF YOUR, IF YOUR VOLUME IS GOOD ON Y'ALL SIDE, SIR.
SO KATIE, WE'RE IN THE PUBLIC SECTION OF THE MEETING.
I KNOW THAT WE WILL GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ORDER TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS FOR THOSE MATTERS THAT RELATE TO PERSONAL MATTERS THAT ARE PART OF, UH, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO PLEASE GIVE US AN OVERVIEW AT THIS TIME.
[00:10:01]
SURE.SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TODAY AND INVITING US TO SHARE WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT.
UM, OVERALL, ROBERT MAP EXECUTIVE SEARCH HAS GONE OUT INTO THE MARKETPLACE AND HAVE SEARCHED, SOURCED AND RECRUITED IN PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON CURRENT AND FORMER ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATORS IN TEXAS AND OR CANDIDATES THAT HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THEIR COUNTY OR SIMILAR SIZED COUNTY OR HAS HAD PAST EXPERIENCE IN A SIMILAR SIZED COUNTY.
CANDIDATES ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS POSITION, THE SIZE OF THE COUNTY AND THE SAN ANTONIO AREA.
WE HAVE TARGETED THE FOLLOWING, UH, ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATORS, DEPUTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR, COUNTY CLERK, JUST TO NAME A FEW NOT LIMITING TO THIS.
WE HAVE ALSO RELEASED BEEN A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT EMPHASIS ON FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE TEXAS MARKET.
IF THEY ARE, FOR SOME REASON OUTSIDE OF TEXAS, IT WOULD BE PRIMARILY BECAUSE THEY USED TO WORK IN TEXAS.
AND SO THEY HAVE A TIE TO THE AREA AND UNDERSTANDING OF, UH, THE LAW HERE IN ELECTIONS LAW.
SO GIVEN THAT INFORMATION, WE HAVE SPOKEN TO, ACTUALLY, WE HAVE TARGETED 201 CANDIDATES.
OF THE 201 CANDIDATES, 140 PEOPLE COME OUT OF 69 COUNTIES OR CITIES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE SIZE OF THEIR COUNTY OUT OF THE ELECTIONS.
UM, DID TO MAKE SENSE FOR THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR POSITION, HUNDRED THREE PEOPLE OF THE HUNDRED AND ONE CANDIDATES ARE CURRENTLY EITHER, UM, IN THE ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATIVE, SO, UM, COUNTY CLERK OFFICE RELEVANT ON THAT OUTSIDE.
AND OF ALL OF THE TARGETED CANDIDATES THAT WE HAVE GONE AFTER, WE HAVE INTERVIEWED 46 CANDIDATES THAT MATCH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POSITION.
THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UH, WE ARE IN A PLACE, I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO BRINGING THE, RECOMMENDING THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE POSITION, GIVEN THE SCREEN PROCESS AND THE HEADHUNTING THAT OUR TEAM HAS DONE, YOU FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT YOU'LL HAVE THE RIGHT FIT.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, MR. CHAIRMAN? I DO MR. DOMINIC CLARK.
I WANNA SAY THIS IS LUCIA D CLARK, LUCIA DIAMOND CLARK, THE COUNTY CLERK OF BERA COUNTY.
I WANNA SAY I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THE NUMBERS OF 201 CANDIDATES BECAUSE THERE'S 254 COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THAT TOLD ME THAT YOU HAVE REACHED MORE THAN HALF OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, BECAUSE THE EXISTING COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR HAVE SERVED FOR OVER 20 SOMETHING YEARS.
SO IT COMES TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE NEXT PERSON, IT'S VERY INSTRUMENTAL TO BEXAR COUNTY THAT THEY'RE VERY WELL AWARE NOT ONLY OF THE CULTURE, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF STATUES, ELECTION CODE, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE ABOUT TO BUILD WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU KATIE, AND THANK YOU BOB FOR THE UPDATE AND THE NUMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS, FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? AND THANK YOU, SIR.
SO, UM, KATIE, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA NOW MOVE, I PRESUME THAT CONCLUDES AT THIS POINT.
[ IV. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE.EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, PURSUANT TO 5 5 1 0 7 4 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE HELD FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS REGARDING INTERVIEW EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL CANDIDATES TO THE POSITIONS OF ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR.
THE TIME IS NOW 1:46 PM AND, UH, I WILL ASK AT THIS POINT THAT, UH, WE ALLOW, AS WE'VE DONE, UM, MY STAFF KNOW BAR SHOP TO REMAIN IN CO LEGAL COUNSEL.
LARRY AND SUE, WE HAVE HR IN THE ROOM, STEPHANIE AND PRISCILLA WITH THE, UH, CHIEF DEPUTY FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND, AND OTHER THAN, OTHER THAN THAT, I WILL ASK ALL TO STEP OUT.
UH, I PRESUME WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK RELATIVELY IN A QUICK MANNER.
WE'LL, DEPENDS ON THE CONVERSATIONS HELD AN EXECUTIVE JUDGE AND WE'LL COME OUT AND ADDRESS, UH, EXECUTIVE, UH, EXECUTIVE, UH, AGENDA ITEM SIX, SEE IF WE TAKE ANY ACTION.
FOR THE RECORD, COULD YOU NOTE THE PRESENCE OF, UH, ROBERT HALF EXECUTIVE SEARCH IN EXECUTIVE
[00:15:01]
SESSION? YES.AND THE ROBERT HALF EXECUTIVE SEARCH TEAM WILL REMAIN OR PURPOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO, AND IF WE'LL GIVE IT JUST ONE MINUTE.
OKAY, THE TIME IS 2:56 PM UH, WE'RE BACK INTO PUBLIC SESSION.
THERE'LL BE NO ACTION TAKEN ON.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION APPROPRIATE ACTION REGARDING THE SELECTION APPOINTMENT OF THE BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR AND APPROVAL OF AN ORDER EVIDENCING THE APPOINTMENT SIGNED BY NUM, NUMBER OF COMMISSION MEMBERS NECESSARY TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT IF SO MADE, UH, AT THIS TIME IS THERE A MOTION TO RECESS? I, LUCIA CLARK COUNTY CLERK OF BEAR COUNTY MOTION TO RECESS.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT WE ADD TO THAT MOTION THAT WE'LL RECONVENE TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 13TH, 2025 AT 1:30 PM THE CURRENT, UH, DOUBLE HEIGHTS COURTROOM IS CURRENTLY TAKEN BY ANOTHER EVENT.
WE WILL RECESS AND REOPEN FEBRUARY 13TH AT ONE 30 AT THE 10TH FLOOR OF THE LARGE CONFERENCE ROOM AND THE PAUL ELIZONDO TOWER LOCATED AT 1 0 1 WEST NEVA STREET.
I'LL ASK THAT NOTICES, GO OUT AND POST IT ON DOORS.
AND I BELIEVE MS. ADAM, YOU'LL POST IT, UH, ON YOUR, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, ON OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
UH, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE UP THEN ITEM NUMBER SIX AT THAT TIME.
UH, IS THERE MOTION BY MS. O CLARK? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND BY MS. C***S.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGN BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTION? MOTION CARRIED.
THERE IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS FOR TODAY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION BY MS. LOS SOLI AND SECOND SECOND BY MS. KONZ? A MOTION TO ADJOURN? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGN BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED, ANY ABSTENTION MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
I'M, I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH BOTH OF YOU BY TEXT AND, AND OVER THE PHONE, BUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IT IN THE 10TH FLOOR LARGE CONFERENCE ROOM.