Joe Sarabia said Tuesday that he was going to keep his job with the El Paso Fire Department, following a meeting with supervisors who told him that city rules would not allow be seated to elected office.
"I need my job. Bottom line," said Sarabia, who declined to comment in detail about the issue because he still was hoping to find a way to take office.
"We have to see again what we can do," Sarabia said. "I'm trying to see what avenues are available."
Today, city officials said they were trying to scheduled a meeting of the Civil Service Commission for Monday.
Sarabia was one of two trustees newly elected on Saturday. He and Tony Ayub won two at-large seats. Charlie Garcia, a board member whose term was up and had to run again, came in third.
The election in the Socorro Independent School District was considered significant because both Sarabia and Ayub were critics of superintendent Sylvia Atkinson. Sarabia was credited with helping defeat the district's $400 million bond issue in 2007.
The two new trustees would have shifted the majority of the board, calling Atkinson's job security into question. The news of Sarabia's apparent ineligibility to serve will prolong the turmoil at the district, which is very deeply divided over support of Atkinson.
Craig Patton, a Socorro trustee, said he wasn't sure what would happen next on the board.
"All I know is in my opinion the city rule is a very bad rule," he said.
The city rule under discussion is Civil Service Rule 17. Part "A" states that "Employees can declare, file and seek elective offices that are not financially compensated, such as elected positions to college boards, school boards, school districts, hospital boards and elected offices that are necessary to party function and process." However, part "C" states that employees are prohibited from seeking elected office "if the employee is serving in a supervisory or managerial position with the City."
Sarabia is a lieutenant with the Fire Department.
Although he would not discuss the matter in detail, he did say that he considered running for office several years ago and was instrumental in changing the rules to allow city employees to run for non-compensated, elected office.
Patton said he was "bewildered by the distinction why they would allow one classification of employees to run for the school board but then not allow employees who manage or supervise other people to run for the school board.
"It seems to be arbitrary and capricious," he said.
He also said that another candidate for the Socorro school board, Karina Hagelslieb, works as a supervisor for the city and was told that she could run for the office.
Regarding Hagelslieb, an accounting manager with the financial services section of the Health Department, city spokeswoman Juli Lozano said that "originally legal did not know she was in a supervisory position. They said it was ok, but then found out she was a supervisor, and then they had to notify her she could not (take office)." Lozano said the notification took place last week, before the election.
Mike Calderazzo, a spokesman for the El Paso Fire Department, said that a supervisor spoke to Sarabia last week, before the election, "and I guess Joe was of the opinion he could appeal this to the Civil Service Commission."
Calderazzo said that Sarabia was formally told this morning that it was not a Civil Service Commission decision, and that Sarabia was given the choice of keeping his job or taking the SISD seat.
Ken G
May 13, 2008
As a recent Civil Service Commissioner, I must state that any covered employee can appeal or grieve any action to the CSC. If Civil Service Rules are in question then appeals MUST be allowed.
David K
May 13, 2008
Karma is a bitch. Shouldn't have worked against the bond issue, after all it was for the "kids."
lisaT
May 13, 2008
He should have confirmed with his own eyes before filing for the office. He has no one to blame but himself for the position he is in.
Tony Aranda
May 13, 2008
so he knew before the election and still did not tell the voters because he thought he could appeal. Now he knows he cannot and its "too bad, so sad"
All that whooohauhh for nothing. I guess Atkinson can breath a sigh of relief and it goes to that day to day saying "things work out this way for a reason." Now can we just let the woman do her job since we never bothered to clarify how it would effect "my" job?
Rick G
May 13, 2008
Joe Sarabia's name and candidacy was bantered about on television news stories, election posters all around the East Side of town and the Strelz Show for months. Why didn't his supervisors or call him in way before the elections were held instead of waiting until now? It could be costly if another election is required to make amends. Who is responsible for checking the candidates qualifications or requirements to run for an office? It's probably very easy just to change the civil service rule. Let Joe Sarabia keep his elected school board job.
socorro parent
May 13, 2008
His options:
take a demotion to a non-supervisary position or take the trustee position get his disciplinary action then appeal it to civil service.
Tomasito
May 14, 2008
So are we supposed to now change the rules merely because somebody didn't understand them to read that way? It is apparent that there is a need to spell these things out in big 3rd grade letters for all to understand. The supervisors were supposed to go out and point out to this candidate what he should have learned on his own.
Now the voters and the people are going to be asked to re-write the law so that others can clearly understand or so that it can comfortably apply to a certain person based on particular fueled and heated reasons?
Yeah fix the rules for the next candidate BUT do not do so just because this candidate failed to understand. It is no wonder that such political problems run rampant in this city, in every political office and faction, lets just make it work the way WE would like it to or to our benefit for the moment?
lisaT
May 14, 2008
Regardless of the City Rules they are going to run head on into the Hatch Act. That is going to keep this office seeker out of office.
Socorro Tax Payer
May 14, 2008
He has to chose the board or his job you can't change the rule for one person that did not investigate to find this out before he ran for the office. It is not the Fire departments supervisors job to point this out to Joe because he did not read or understand the rules. You can not ask the the Civil Service to change the rules now after the fact!!!
Edie
May 14, 2008
Tomasito, You are absolutely right. (1) He didn't check the rules with his employer before he ran; (2) Now he and others want the rules changed for him only. What about the other people who followed the rules?; (3) it's HIS responsibility to find out if he can run -- not anyone else's.
Tomasito
May 14, 2008
edie, I guess I am just becoming one of those citizens of El Paso that is getting tired of hearing from our elected officials that same old "I didn't know" or "I didn't understand it to mean that" BUT the people want me in office so bad that I am going to figure out "how" to stay no matter what the law or rules say? So let me call in the voters and friends in high places to help me do it.
elite-elpaso
May 14, 2008
Please, give me a break! He knew! He dedicated himself for a year to file open records request at SISD, look into SISD matters, a master at manipulating people, strong when it’s convenient and ignorant and submissive when it comes to save his soul. He questions process, procedures, hiring practices at SISD and fails to check the Civil Service Rules? Common Joey Boy, who are you kidding! And you dare to openly criticize SISD administration! Is there a different rule and policy practice when it comes to you? Well, if you missed this one I guess you can be missed being in the board!
East El Pasoan
May 15, 2008
I feel bad for SISD employees, parents and students. Why does Mr. Sarabia think he can get away with this? He complains about people breaking the rules and he seems to be the worst. He admitted he knew about this situation before the election yet continued saying he would appeal later. I think he should step down and stop wasting everyones time.