Calhoun County judge appoints John Martinez as commissioner

The Calhoun County Courthouse was packed Wednesday morning, Oct. 29, as members of the public came to see Calhoun County Judge Vern Lyssy appoint John Martinez as the new Precinct 1 commissioner.

Approved unanimously by the court, Martinez was sworn in before the audience by Lyssy. Martinez then addressed county employees, EMS personnel, deputies and community members, saying he would continue the work started by former Commissioner David Hall.

“I want to carry the vision that Mr. David Hall had. He had a passion for this office and for his precinct, and I want to, to the best of my ability, continue that for Port Lavaca and my precinct,” Martinez said. “My thoughts are always with his wife, Amanda. She’ll always be special, and I’ll strive to keep Hall’s memory alive in Precinct 1. I also want to thank Judge Lyssy and the commissioners for my appointment. I am deeply humbled, and I will serve to the best of my ability with honesty and integrity.”

Following his appointment, Lyssy said that he believes Martinez was a good pick for the position and that he had been the best among all those who had applied.

“Originally, I had 10 candidates for the position of commissioner, and from those 10 I picked three. I took two weeks to really vet them, and those three rose to the top. There were a lot of good candidates, but Martinez stood out,” Lyssy said. “He has 43 years of customer service experience, which helps. I think he’s a great pick, and he’s going to do a great job.”

Martinez will serve in the role of commissioner until Dec. 31, 2026. For more information, visit the county’s website at www.calhouncotx.org.