by Legislative Media | Feb 14, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: City Councilmember David Torres; Raúl Castillo of McAllen, who is an American stage and film actor and playwright known for his roles in Amexicano, Cold Weather, and for his role as Richie Donado Ventura in the HBO series Looking; and Ellie Torres, Secretary/Treasurer for the Board of Directors of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. The image was taken during the South Texas International Film Festival on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance. On Monday, February 15, 2016, Ellie Torres and the EEDC Board of Directors will hold a public meeting beginning at noon in the Council Chamber at Edinburg City Hall. Also on Monday, February 16, 2016, David Torres, along with the mayor and Edinburg City Council, will have their public meeting, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Edinburg City Hall. David and Ellie Torres are husband and wife. Ellie Torres is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Edinburg school district. David Torres was formerly a member of the Board of Trustees for the Edinburg school district.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and the Edinburg City Council will have their regular public meetings on Monday, February 15, with each governing body scheduled to review and take possible action on pending and potential business-growth projects, the EEDC has announced. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related. The EEDC will begin its meeting at noon in the Council Chamber of Edinburg City Hall, while the Mayor and City Council are set to begin their public session at 6 p.m., also in the Council Chamber. Usually, the Mayor and City Council hold their regular meetings on Tuesdays beginning at 6 p.m. Both meetings are broadcast live by the Edinburg Cable Network through Time Warner Cable, and are also available through the city’s website at CityofEdinburg.com On the EEDC’s agenda are key economic development strategies, which are scheduled to be held in executive session (behind closed doors), as allowed by state law. Those executive session items include: Deliberate authorizing the executive director to execute a development agreement with Project Domain; Deliberate authorizing the executive director to amend the development agreement with Burns Brothers, Ltd.; Deliberate authorizing the executive director to enter into an interlocal agreement with the City of Edinburg regarding the city’s soccer park; Deliberate authorizing the executive director to amend the construction agreement with Cantú Construction regarding the city’s soccer park; Deliberate authorizing the executive director to enter into a development agreement with Qube Hotel Group; and Deliberate authorizing the executive director to execute into a drainage easement to Edinburg Plaza, L.L.C. Several of the City Council’s agenda items will deal with potential or ongoing projects that will also lead to economic development and jobs-creation in the city. Those items, which will be considered in executive session, are: Discussion and possible action regarding proposed interlocal agreement between the City of Edinburg and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation for participation in the construction of soccer fields; Discussion and possible action regarding approval of a sales tax reimbursement agreement between the city and Vipers Arena, L.L.C., relating to granting certain sales tax revenues to reimburse Vipers Arena, L.L.C. for certain additional improvements relating to the Bert Ogden Arena Project; and Discussion and possible action regarding legal issues concerning proposed support agreements concerning La Sienna Apartments.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 12, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen; Terri Drefke, President and CEO of the Food Bank RGV; Pharr Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernández; Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission; and Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville. Hinojosa, Muñoz, and Lucio were among several South Texas legislators honored during a legislative reaction hosted by the Pharr Economic Development Corporation and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership at the PEDC headquarters on Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
Photograph By ISMAEL GARCÍA
Gov. Greg Abbott’s visit to McAllen on Friday, February 12, 2016, will provide him a historic opportunity to support a plan by Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission, which would allow a statewide vote to require that half of all future gubernatorial appointments go to qualified women, a move which would dramatically increase the number of women in powerful state leadership positions. Under the Muñoz measure, Texas voters in a statewide election would have the power to create a law that women receive half of all gubernatorial appointments to powerful state boards, commissions, and agencies, such as the Texas Transportation Commission and The University of Texas System Board of Regents. During a four-year term, a governor will make about 3,000 appointments, according to the governor’s office. Muñoz would file the proposal when the Texas Legislature begins its regular session in January 2017. If approved by lawmakers, state voters could see it on the ballot as soon as November 2017. “Gov. Abbott will be in the Valley for a fundraiser for the Hidalgo County Republican Women, and I know many of them will be very interested in hearing from him whether he believes qualified women should receive half of all gubernatorial appointments,” said Muñoz. “I have developed the legislation that would achieve what I believe will forever improve the representation of women at the highest levels of state government.” Muñoz said that Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, the former County Judge of Cameron County who was the first gubernatorial appointment for Abbott, on Thursday, January 21, 2016, during a luncheon in Edinburg, was presented Muñoz’ plan for delivery to the governor. “The governor has had time to study my proposal, and I cannot think of a better time or place for him than the Valley to let all of us know what he thinks, and what he plans to do about it,” said Muñoz. Abbott is the featured guest for the Lincoln Reagan Dinner, which will be held at the Valencia Event Center, located at 3012 S. Jackson Road in McAllen. The event begins at 6 p.m. “I encourage Gov. Abbott to make history, just as he made history by becoming the first governor of Texas who is physically-challenged and must use a wheelchair, by supporting an idea whose time has come,” Muñoz added. Muñoz said the idea was brought to him by David A. Díaz, a legislative consultant from McAllen. Díaz and Miriam Martínez had worked together on the issue when Martínez, a South Texas broadcast journalist and business owner, ran for Texas governor, seeking the 2014 Republican Party nomination, which was won by Abbott. Martínez said if elected governor, her gubernatorial appointments would be been divided evenly between women and men, and she would have asked for a statewide vote to make that practice a permanent requirement. There are more than 200 state boards, commissions and agencies whose members are appointed by the governor, with the consent of the Senate. “Under this proposal, if approved by the Legislature and Texas voters, every time vacancies occur in each state board, commission and agency which requires a gubernatorial appointee, the first vacancy shall be filled by a qualified woman, the next vacancy shall be filled by a qualified man, and so on,” Muñoz said. “This method will guarantee that women will receive their fair share of the most powerful gubernatorial appointments.” Cascos, who was in Edinburg on Thursday, January 21, 2016, was provided with a copy of the Muñoz plan, and the Secretary of State, who was formerly county judge of Cameron County, agreed to present it to Abbott. Cascos was the first gubernatorial appointment announced by Abbott in November 2014. The Texas Senate confirmed Cascos as the 110th Secretary of State on Wednesday, February 18, 2015. In agreeing to take Muñoz’ plan to Abbott, Cascos shared his own commitment to increasing the roles and number of women in leadership roles in Texas. “I think it’s important to have a diverse representation of qualified women and men of different origins,” Cascos said. “I don’t think there is anyone who does not welcome diversity: male, female, Hispanic, African American, Asian American. Diversity is good.” The Secretary of State, who serves as the chief elections officer for Texas, reflected on the importance of Muñoz’ plan. “I think it’s something that’s noteworthy. There are a lot of groups that are not that well -represented,” Cascos said. “In my office alone, we have African American, Hispanics and Anglos. So my office, since I have been in there, has become more diverse than what it was before I got there.” Muñoz said his proposal is not a quota, which favors one group at the expense of another. “Under this plan, a majority, in this case, men, would not lose out to a minority – women – because the population of Texas is, and most likely will always be, about half men and half women,” Muñoz said. “Any Texas governor would find no problem whatsoever finding women who are very qualified for half of all gubernatorial appointments.” The UT System Board of Regents, which is currently operating under a $16.9 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2016, has two women and seven men on that governing board. The Texas A&M System Board of Regents, which is currently operating under a $4.2 billion budget for Fiscal year 2016, has two women and seven men on that governing board. The Texas Ethics Commission, which is responsible for administering and enforcing laws that require financial disclosures of state lawmakers and legislative employees, has one woman on its eight-member commission. The Texas Department of Transportation, which has a $23 billion two-year budget, is governed by the five-member – and all male – Texas Highway Commission. Only three women have been appointed to this powerful commission since 1993. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, a seven-member board which oversees the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and its 2016-17 $719 million budget, is comprised of all men.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 11, 2016 | Politics
Featured: An illustration of the proposed $150 million Hidalgo County Courthouse which would be built in downtown Edinburg, and, weather permitting, be completed by October 2018.
Graphics Courtesy ERO ARCHITECTS
The City of Edinburg would contribute a total of $30 million towards the construction of a $150 million, six-story Hidalgo County Courthouse, which would reshape and revitalize the city’s historic downtown, under an initial agreement authorized by the Mayor and Edinburg City Council on Monday, February 8, 2016, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related. If all goes as planned, work could begin on the new courthouse before the end of this year, with a completion date of October 2018, weather permitting. The existing courthouse would continue to function while the new facility is being built. The $30 million city contribution would not result in any city property tax rate increase or take funding away from other major city projects, Mayor García said following the joint work session, which began at 2 p.m. at Edinburg City Hall. “After hearing from our financial advisors, I feel very comfortable that we’re in a sound financial situation, where we can contribute to this worthy project, without raising taxes and without it affecting the other projects we have going on around town,” he told the Edinburg Cable Network. The mayor added that Edinburg hasn’t raised city property taxes in 21 years and he doesn’t plan to start raising them now. In addition to Mayor García, Mayor Pro Tem Homer Jasso, Jr., Councilmember Richard Molina, and Councilmember David Torres participated in the event. Councilmember J.R. Betancourt was excused on important business. Hidalgo County Judge Ramón García, Precinct 1 County Commissioner A.C. Cuellar of Weslaco, and Precinct 4 County Commissioner Joseph Palacios of Edinburg represented the commissioners court. Precinct 2 County Commissioner Eduardo “Eddie” Cantú of Pharr and Precinct 3 County Commissioner Joe Flores of Mission were excused on important business. Mayor Richard García and Hidalgo County Judge Ramón García are not related. Final details for the courthouse project, as well as the formal signing of an interlocal agreement setting out the financial contribution by Edinburg, are both scheduled for a joint session on Tuesday, March 8, of the Edinburg City Council and the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court. During the Monday, February 8 joint work session, the city and county leaders reviewed the architectural and financing details provided, respectively, by Eli Ochoa, PE, AIA, who is Partner and Architect with ERO Architects of McAllen, and Noé Hinojosa, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer for Estrada • Hinojosa Investment Bankers of Dallas, which is the city’s financial consultant. “This is a historic moment in our county’s history,” the county judge said in his opening remarks during the joint work session. “We are here today to discuss the possibility of entering into an agreement with the City of Edinburg to properly fund an adequate courthouse to provide safety and security for our constituents, our residents of Hidalgo County.” Edinburg city officials are optimistic that the new courthouse complex is on the right track. Mayor Pro Tem Jasso said key issues relating to the planned courthouse complex have been resolved for him. “From the time we began this, I am really happy with the outcome, with what we have today,” said Jasso. “Eli (Ochoa) has addressed many of our concerns, such as the facade of the building, the landscaping. I am really looking to moving forward.” Councilmember Molina, who also serves on the Edinburg Planning and Zoning Commission, predicted the new courthouse complex will have a beneficial impact that will help businesses located along East University Drive and beyond. “We have been trying to help the east side of Edinburg, and when people see this mammoth building all the way from the expressway (Interstate Highway 69C), it’s going to catch people’s attention,” said Molina. “We are going to have all kinds of businesses go up in the area.”
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by Legislative Media | Feb 7, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, John Sharp, Chancellor, Texas A&M University System, and Hidalgo County Judge Ramón García, on Tuesday, September 15, 2015, at McAllen City Hall to announced plans by Texas A&M University to open a full-fledged campus in northwest McAllen, which includes a portion of the Edinburg school district. On Monday, February 8, 2016, County Judge García and the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court will meet with the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council to discuss the latest plans and financing options for the proposed construction of a new Hidalgo County Courthouse, which would be located in downtown Edinburg.
Photograph Courtesy JULIA BENITEZ SULLIVAN
Plans for a proposed new courthouse will be reviewed on Monday, February 8, 2016 during a joint public session of the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court and the Edinburg City Council set to begin at 2 p.m. at Edinburg City Hall, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The EEDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related. According to the agenda posting by the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court, the county’s elected leaders will focus on three items: Discussion regarding the County of Hidalgo New Courthouse Project; Presentation by ERO Architects regarding the New County of Hidalgo Courthouse; and Discussion, consideration and action on Memorandum of Understanding between County of Hidalgo regarding financial contribution for Courthouse Project. The city’s agenda is similar, stating that in addition to being present for the county commissioners’ court stated scheduled actions, the Mayor and Edinburg City Council will review, both in open and closed (executive) sessions, the Memorandum of Understanding regarding financial contribution for the proposed courthouse. The meeting, which is open to the public, comes a little more than six months after a similar gathering, when on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, both governing bodies held a joint workshop to review the schematic designs for the new courthouse, according to a county news release on the event According to the county news release, the following highlights of the July 28, 2015 meeting took place: Presented by ERO Architects and the firm’s judicial consultants, the new courthouse would “remain on the same existing courthouse square and serve as a catalyst for downtown economic development, while providing increased governmental services in an accessible, highly secure, 21st century judicial facility.” County Judge García and Edinburg Mayor García assured the public that the cost of the new courthouse will come from available resources and not from raising taxes. “Neither public body (the City of Edinburg or County of Hidalgo) is going to need to raise their tax rate to fund this project,” said Judge García. The county judge and Edinburg mayor are not related. Initial designs by ERO Architects placed the cost of a new courthouse upwards of $200 million and at more than 472,000 sq. ft. After seeing the proposed plans, the county hired a third party architect to conduct a peer review. The review recommended changes that would save the county $50 million. ERO took the recommendations and redesigned the building cutting 150,000 sq. ft. and reducing the cost to an estimated $149 million.
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