How it happened
Martinez, who unseated eight-year incumbent David Langenberg in the Nov. 5 election, took an oath and was sworn in before the monthly public meeting. After the ceremony, the longtime Cypress resident said he's grateful for the opportunity, and is eager to serve his four-year term and give back to the community.
"It's the first time that [I've been] elected into office," Martinez told Community Impact. "I was thrilled, and I think it's a huge responsibility. I think that there's a lot that I need to consider, and I need to make sure that I have all the information that is required to make good decisions."
With over 30 years of experience in finance, Martinez defeated Langenberg and David Farrington to claim one of the two open seats on the ESD No. 9 board.
He claimed 34.89% of the vote, while incumbent Bevin O'Connor Gordon secured 25.99% to keep her seat on the board.
Martinez said he wants to give a voice to the voiceless and those who need representation.
It's a mission, Martinez said, that dates back to his early political involvement in Colombia.
"I was part of a political party where we were trying to represent people with disabilities back in Colombia," Martinez said. "I found that at the time, we didn't even have sidewalks prepared for people in wheelchairs, so it was about changing the vision in Colombia about all the people's needs."
He said he hopes to bring that same mindset to the ESD No. 9 board by keeping up with innovation and industry changes while staying alert to population growth and community needs.
"I know that they already have a really high benchmark, but ... even if it is baby steps, making things better day by day," Martinez said.
Commissioner Kevin Stertzel proposed postponing votes on most of the Nov. 21 meeting agenda to give Martinez time to familiarize himself with the issues up for discussion, but the meeting proceeded as planned and Martinez abstained from voting on several items.
He said he intends to visit local fire stations and listen to department employees so he can learn more about the department to make informed decisions.
"The purpose of the fire department is to be able to respond to people's calls and be there on time, ... but we also need to be concerned about getting there with the right equipment, with the right people—trained people," Martinez said. "We also need to make sure that our firefighters and emergency personnel come out safe after the call. It's the life of people at stake—the people that we're trying to protect, but also the personnel that works for the ESD 9."
The ESD No. 9 board is set to meet on Dec. 19, and the commissioners are expected to elect officers and talk more about the addition of eight new fire stations through the Cy-Fair Implementation Plan. Meeting agendas are posted at least 72 hours in advance for public review.
