Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra is being accused of taking thousands of dollars from taxpayers for work he did not do, according to a lawsuit requesting Becerra’s removal from office.
The Sept. 14 lawsuit was filed by attorney Kent E. Wymore IV on behalf of a Nathan Kaspar, a Hays County resident, who is requesting that Becerra immediately be suspended from his position and another individual be appointed. Kaspar believes Becerra broke an oath to faithfully execute his duties, by allegedly taking at least $50,000 from taxpayers between 2019 and 2020.
Texas Government Code states “a county judge is entitled to an annual salary supplement from the state in an amount equal to 18 percent of the state base salary paid to a district judge as set by the General Appropriations Act in accordance with Section 659.012(a) if at least 40 percent of the functions that the judge performs are judicial functions.”
The lawsuit says Becerra did not meet the 40% requirement.
“What is set forth above herein establishes [Becerra] is wholly “incompetent” and must be removed from office on that basis,” the lawsuit states. “[Becerra] has acted with gross ignorance of his official duties or gross carelessness in the discharge of those duties.”
Becerra’s attorney, E. Chevo Pastrano Jr., responded in a written statement saying the lawsuit is “baseless.”
“Wymore, current general counsel and former chairman for the Hays County Republican Party, is misguided in his efforts to bring this removal suit,” Pastrano Jr. wrote. 
Wymore, on behalf of Kaspar, “prays” the District Court of Hays County:

1.  issue orders requiring citation issue, and that citation and a certified copy of this petition be served on Defendant ordering Defendant to appear and answer on the date set by the Court and after the fifth (5th) day the citation is served;
2.  temporarily suspends Defendant from the office of County Judge of Hays County, Texas, and appoint another person, as designated by the Court, to perform the duties of County Judge of Hays County, Texas;
3. all costs be assessed against Defendant; and
4. all such other and further relief in law and equity to which he may show himself justly entitled.

“In conjunction with the General Counsel for Hays County and the Texas Association of Counties, we will put together a team that will work to put this nonsense to rest so that Judge Becerra can continue his work on behalf of Hays County without these distractions,” Pastrano Jr. wrote.
The University Star is learning more about this situation and will update this article as more information becomes available.