At a swearing-in ceremony held at the Victoria County Historic Courthouse, a series of elected and appointed county officials took oaths of office and the commissioners court approved the bonds required for those offices.

The officials sworn in included incoming District Judge Lisa Harvey Moore (24th Judicial District); an associate judge identified in the oath as Glenn (Associate Judge, Title 4(d) cases covering the 3rd, 4th and 11th Administrative Judicial Regions); Sheriff Justin Wade Marr; Tax Assessor-Collector Ashley Hernandez; County Commissioner Kenny Garcia Jr. (Precinct 1); County Commissioner Shannon Martin (Precinct 3); and four constables — Jeff W. Meyer (Precinct 1), Rex Mays (Precinct 2), Kenneth Easley (Precinct 3) and Aaron Burleson (Precinct 4).

During the ceremony County Judge Ben Zeller noted the county’s workforce and the demands on elected officials, saying the county employs “nearly 600 individuals throughout the county that work every day to serve and to support the residents of this community.”

After the oaths were administered, and with the gathering serving as an official meeting of the commissioners court, the court considered a single administrative action: approval of the bonds signed at the ceremony. A motion to “approve all the bonds from today’s ceremony” was made and seconded; the court conducted a voice vote and the chair called for “Aye.” The motion was approved. The record does not identify the members who moved or seconded the motion by name, and no roll-call tally was provided in the transcript.

Judge Zeller also told attendees that the county photographer would post photos from the ceremony on the county’s Facebook page and that the county could email photos to participants; he stated the photos should be online the following day.

The event was ceremonial in nature and included an invocation and the pledge of allegiance. Following the bonds motion and brief closing remarks, Judge Zeller adjourned the meeting and wished attendees a happy New Year.