by Legislative Media | Apr 9, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Agustín “Gus” García, Jr., Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Ramiro Garza, Jr., Edinburg City Manager; and Edinburg City Councilmember Richard Molina, in the Gallery of the Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday, February 10 for Rio Grande Valley Day at the State Capitol.
Photograph By DIEGO REYNA
Edinburg’s retail economy for the month of February 2015 was 14.38 percent better than the same month last year, generating $1,560,490.17 in local sales taxes, compared with $1,364,200.96 in February 2014, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg City Council. That showing was the best among all of the Valley’s major cities for February 2015, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, which on Wednesday, April 8, released statewide figures, which represents the most up-to-date figures information for that state agency. Edinburg’s almost 15 percent improvement also was significantly higher than the average of all city economies in the state, which combined showed an improvement of 3.3 percent when comparing February 2015 with the same month last year, the state comptroller’s office also reported. The amount of local sales taxes collected helps reflect the strength of an economy, along with construction activities, per capita income, education, historical performances, and related trends. Year-to-date, the Edinburg economy is 6.40 percent ahead of 2014, having produced $6,677,232.04 in local sales taxes in 2015, compared with $6,275,246.74 during the same period last year. The local sales tax figures represent sales reported by monthly tax filers for February 2015, sent to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in March, and returned as sales tax rebates to the respective local government entities in April. The local sales tax is used in Edinburg to help pay for many city services, while the EEDC uses its one-half cent local sales tax to help generate economic development in the city. Fitch Ratings, Inc., a global credit conglomerate which rates economies on their strengths and weaknesses for national and international businesses and investors, in early March gave independent and positive views on Edinburg’s economy. On March 4, the New York-based credit rating agency provided its public analyses of Edinburg’s economy and financial activities of the city government and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. Among its key findings: Because of its position near the Mexican border along a major transportation route, Edinburg serves as a distribution center, benefiting from the trade generated by cross-border manufacturing activity as well as the agricultural production in the region. Retail trade, government, education and health services are all major components of the area economy; and further economic expansion is expected in the near term related to $150 million in projects underway at the newly designated University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, including the region’s first medical school, and a $200 million expansion of the local hospital. Planned projects include a $650 million power plant and an upscale retail, entertainment, and hotel complex.
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by Legislative Media | Mar 30, 2015 | Politics
Featured, right, Edinburg Mayor Richard H. García speaking with reporters on Thursday, January 22, 2015, prior to welcoming Gov. Greg Abbott to the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Edinburg’s unemployment rate for February 2015 was 4.8 percent, which was lower than the previous month’s level of 5.1 percent, better than the February 2014 level of 6.2 percent, and the best showing for that month since 2008, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and the Edinburg City Council. The unemployment rate is a key indicator of the strength of the local economy. Those most recent figures, released on Friday, March 27 by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), came about a week after Teleperformance U.S.A., a global company which specializes in customer service, technical support, call center, debt collection and social media, announced that it will begin hiring 200 more staff members at its Edinburg site, located at 1701 South Closner Blvd. Only McAllen had a better monthly performance among the Valley’s major economies, coming in with a 4.7 percent unemployment rate for February 2015, the TWC reported. The previous month, the unemployment rate in McAllen was five percent. Edinburg’s February 2015 unemployment rate of 4.8 percent remained close to the Texas statewide average, which was 4.3 percent for February 2015, compared with statewide average of 4.6 percent for January 2015, according to TWC figures. With more than 700 employees at the local Teleperformance facility, the company currently utilizes about 50,000 square feet with about 800 work stations. “Our clients see Edinburg as a great place for customer service and support,” said Miranda Collard President of Operational Delivery for Teleperformance U.S.A. “They recognize the area’s diversity, talent, and education in the community. Edinburg offers a unique advantage to employers like Teleperformance because of the strength of the community and the incredible work ethic of the people. We are excited to continue our growth in this area.”Mayor Richard H. García congratulated Teleperformance with its continued success and agreed with the company’s assessment of the work ethics in this region. “For us working hard is just something we do. That’s what our parents taught us and I’m glad we’re being recognized for our hard working habits,” the mayor said. ‘“This is their second expansion since they first opened in 2003. Clearly, we’re a good fit.” Their first expansion was in 2013, when Teleperformance added 400 positions and increased square footage by 24,000 feet, making room for 350 more workstations. Agustín “Gus” García, Jr. (no relation to the mayor), Executive Director of the EEDC, said the additional 200 jobs at Teleperformance U.S.A. will contribute to the city’s declining unemployment rate. “This also means that people looking for a job will have high-paying positions to choose from, great jobs that could turn into careers,” the EEDC Executive Director reflected.
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by Legislative Media | Mar 25, 2015 | Politics
Keith A. Patridge, President and CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, with Adriana Treviño, Marketing Director for the MEDC.
Photograph Courtesy McALLEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Keith A. Patridge, President and Chief Executive Officer of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, will share his extensive knowledge and experiences about business and how it is impacted by government and politics as one of three high-profile experts serving on a blue-ribbon panel for “Economic Development – A Regional Outlook” on Thursday, March 26 in Edinburg. The event, which is open to the public, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, 118 Paseo Del Prado. Joining Patridge will be Agustín “Gus” García, Jr., Executive Director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, and Alejandro “Alex” Meade, Chief Executive Officer of the Mission Economic Development Corporation. The EEDC, which is a sponsor of the event, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg City Council. The gathering on Thursday, which is organized by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, is also designed to allow business professionals to meet, network, and create opportunities for the companies they represent, costs $18 per person, or $200 for a table of eight, and includes a hot lunch, beverage and dessert. For more information or to make a reservation, individuals may call the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce at 956/383-4974. The Thursday, March 26 session is consistent with the strategies of the Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, who have made regional cooperation with other South Texas cities a priority as part of their efforts to promote socioeconomic advances in deep South Texas. The McAllen Economic Development Corporation is one of that city’s pro-business, job-creation entities. According to the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, the MEDC is a not-for-profit corporation under contract with the City of McAllen to create jobs for McAllen by attracting new industry and helping existing companies to expand. With 28 years of working at the McAllen Economic Development Corporation and McAllen Foreign Trade Zone, Patridge has a great deal of experience in assisting companies with their start-up operations in either McAllen or Reynosa, according to his official biography. Patridge has worked with global companies planning a strategic move or expansion to service their industry from a cost competitive market. During his almost three decades of service with the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, that organization has assisted more than 600 companies in the relocation and start-up of successful operations in its community, resulting in the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs.
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by Legislative Media | Mar 22, 2015 | Politics
Alejandro “Alex” Meade, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Economic Development Corporation.
Photograph Courtesy OFFICE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNOR
Alejandro “Alex” Meade, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Economic Development Corporation, will be joining Keith A. Patridge, President and CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, and Agustín “Gus” García, Jr., Executive Director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, on Thursday, March 26, in “Economic Development – A Regional Outlook”, hosted by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The event, which is open to the public, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, 118 Paseo Del Prado. The gathering, which also will allow business professionals to meet, network, and create opportunities for the companies they represent, costs $18 per person, or $200 for a table of eight, and includes a hot lunch, beverage and desert. For more information or to make a reservation, individuals may call the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce at 956/383-4974. “The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to the gathering of three of the leading economic development professionals in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Elva Jackson Garza, Vice President of Edwards Abstract and Title Company, which is one of the event sponsors, and Vice Chair of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce’s Public Affairs Committee. Public Affairs Luncheons are an initiative introduced in 2006, and have featured popular topics with speakers who cover important community and legislative issues. The vision is to inform, involve and educate chamber investors and civic leaders. “There are several important factors for scheduling the economic development panel. Primarily, the growth and vitality of the Rio Grande Valley have been impacted by the continued work and efforts of the economic development corporations,” Garza explained. “The Valley is poised to experience changes in the educational, industrial, commercial and residential sectors. Bringing these three EDC entities together will help further the regional mindset in the civic, business and community leaders.” Fred Sandoval, City Manager of Pharr and Director of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, had also been invited to participate in the event, but a schedule conflict prevented his valued participation, according to Ronnie Larralde, Director of Marketing/ Special Events at Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. The Thursday, March 26 session is consistent with the strategies of the Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, who have made regional cooperation with other South Texas cities a priority as part of their efforts to promote socioeconomic advances in deep South Texas.
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by Legislative Media | Mar 14, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left, prior to a legislative briefing with Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, on Tuesday, June 17 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, are: McAllen Mayor Jim Darling; Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission; and McAllen City Commissioner Trey Pebley.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
The House Committee on Appropriations, which includes Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission, and Rep. Óscar Longoria, Jr., D-La Joya, on Thursday, March 12, approved the continued funding of Medicaid-to-Medicare parity payments, starting September 1, 2016, in the amount of $460 million. The funding decision is also part of the state legislative agenda of the Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. “There is a clear need to address the inadequacy in Medicaid payments,” said Muñoz. “The House Appropriations Committee has budgeted sufficient funds to counteract the growing trend of doctors opting out of Medicaid due to low reimbursement rates. These appropriations will help ensure the longevity of the Medicaid and CHIP services that safeguard the health of millions of Texans and allow us to continue planning for advancements in medical services and technology.” The March 12 action follows requests from primary care physicians statewide and through advocacy organizations such as the Texas Medical Association (TMA) so the state government can retain doctors who participate in Texas’ Medicaid program and CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and to ensure that eligible Texans can continue to have access to medical care, according to the TMA. Medicaid and CHIP provide medical coverage for more than 4.6 million low-income Texans as of December 2014. The programs cover half of all children in the state and help provide care for two-thirds of people in nursing homes. In Texas, all CHIP services and most Medicaid services are delivered through managed care health plans under contract with the state, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The $460 million appropriation, which will be included in the final state budget to be presented for action by the full 150-member House of Representatives, was approved upon the recommendation of the Sub-Committee on Article II – Health and Human Services (HHSC), on which Longoria serves. “Having met with and discussed this issue with many doctors from my district, as well as physicians from across Texas, I, along with my colleagues on the sub-committee, have come to understand the inadequacy of Medicaid payments and the need to pay better to expand access to care,” said Longoria. “We need to invest the necessary resources to improve appropriate and timely access to medical services for Medicaid patients, not only by maintaining higher payments for primary care physicians, but also by ensuring competitive physician payment rates for sub-specialists and CHIP.”
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