by Legislative Media | Nov 25, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left, facing camera: Letty Reyes, Director of Business Development & Public Affairs, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Harvey Rodríguez as Vice President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; City Councilmember David Torres; and Agustín García, Jr., Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, as they met with leaders with major retail outlets during the statewide convention of the International Council of Shopping Centers, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, on Wednesday, November 4, through Friday, November 6, 2015. Mayor Pro Tem Homer Jasso, Jr., Ellie Torres, Vice President of the EEDC Board of Directors, and Diego Reyna, Research Analyst, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, are not in this image, but they also participated in the statewide convention.
Photograph By DIEGO REYNA
A proposed ban on smoking in public facilities and most privately-owned businesses could soon become law in Edinburg, with city leaders confident such an action would help economic development as well as improve public health, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. On Tuesday, November 17, 2015, the Mayor and Edinburg City Council, during their regular meeting held at Edinburg City Hall, held a public hearing on a plan by the city to change the existing city ordinance in order to prohibit smoking in government buildings, as well as in at least 21 types of businesses, ranging from bars, motion picture theaters, and childcare and adult daycare facilities to restaurants, retail stores, and sports arenas. The measure, which still faces final action by the Mayor and City Council to make it official, is scheduled for the Tuesday, December 1, 2015 regular city council meeting. If approved, as currently worded, the proposed ordinance would carry up to a $2,000 fine upon conviction for what would be classified as a misdemeanor crime. However, the proposed ban would not affect smoking in a person’s residence, outdoor seating areas of a restaurant that are designated as smoking areas, private clubs which are not businesses, and would allow hotels and motels to set aside up to 25 percent of their rooms for smokers. No one spoke against the proposed smoking ban during the public hearing, with almost two dozen area residents showing up in favor of the smoking ban. If approved in its current form, the proposed ban would be in line with recent federal government report that smoke-free laws do not hurt restaurant and bar businesses, said Mark Iglesias, President of the Board of Directors for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. 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. “In partnership with the Mayor and Edinburg City Council, the EEDC Board of Directors and staff take very seriously our roles in improving the quality-of-life in our community, such as having helped bring a University of Texas medical school to our community, to protecting the public health while promoting the prosperity of our businesses,” said Iglesias. “One of the largest studies by the U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that smoking bans benefit the public and businesses.” The CDC is one of the major operating components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mayor García emphasized the smoking ban is being considered because it is the duty of the Mayor and City Council, to protect the health, safety, welfare, and wellbeing of its citizens. “Numerous studies have found that tobacco smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution, and that breathing secondhand smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke) is a cause of disease in healthy nonsmokers, including heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, lung cancer,” the mayor said, citing information provided by city staff. The National Cancer Institute determined in 1999 that secondhand smoke is responsible for the early deaths of approximately 53,000 Americans annually, he added. “City staff has met with representatives of the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society and has discussed with other cities in our region, including Brownsville, Harlingen, and Brownsville, and elsewhere in Texas,” Mayor García said. “After review of the (smoking ban) studies and discussions as noted, the City of Edinburg finds that smoking tobacco is a form of air pollution, is a danger to health, and is a material public nuisance.” Agustín García, Jr., EEDC’s Executive Director, praised the Mayor and City Council for always considering high profile issues in the best interests of the public and of local businesses. “The quality-of-life of a city such is important in order to keep local businesses and bring in new businesses, because the public health resources and public health policies of a community are as important to businesses and their employees as are education, transportation, and public safety when deciding to expand, relocate, or set up a new firm in Edinburg,” the EEDC Executive Director said.
•••••• (more…)
by Legislative Media | Nov 11, 2015 | Politics
Featured: Richard M. Hinojosa, who was selected Edinburg City Manager on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 by the Mayor and City Council.
Photograph: EDINBURG CABLE NETWORK
After conducting interviews earlier in the month with several outstanding candidates, the Mayor and Edinburg City Council on Thursday, November 10, 2015, unanimously offered the position of city manager to Richard M. Hinojosa, who brings more than 40 years of municipal government experience to help continue leading his hometown on its remarkable growth and economic prosperity. Hinojosa, who accepted the offer pending final negotiations on his contract, will succeed Ramiro Garza, Jr., who announced earlier this year that he would be leaving city employment by January 1, 2016 in order to pursue other endeavors. Pending negotiations, Hinojosa’s first day on the job will be December 2, 2015. One of his first duties will be to find a new Planning and Zoning Director – the city position he currently holds. Mayor Richard García said Hinojosa’s experience speaks for itself. “Mr. Hinojosa is very well rounded as far as knowing how cities function,” the mayor said. “He has the qualifications to keep this well-oiled machine running forward smoothly.” Hinojosa was in the audience in the City Council Chambers at Edinburg City Hall when the mayor and city council returned from executive (closed) session and announced in open session that they had made their choice on who will be responsible for a staff of more than 700 professionals and a $100 million annual operating budget. “I offer the motion to have the city attorney negotiate (the employment contract) with the new city manager, and I select Richard Hinojosa,” said Mayor Pro Tem Homer Jasso, Jr. His motion was seconded by Councilmember J.R. Betancourt, with the mayor, Councilmember Richard Molina, and Councilmember David Torres then also voting for the Jasso measure. “Congratulations, sir,” the mayor addressed Hinojosa, who was seated in the audience. “Would you accept it?” “Yes, sir!” Hinojosa responded, drawing applause from the mayor, city council and audience members. The mayor, who also serves on the Board of Directors of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, said Hinojosa’s selection “offers continuity, which is very important, with all the growth and projects that are in place, and that are moving forward, because they require stability and experience.” The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr., is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the 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. Mayor García and EEDC Executive Director Agustín García, Jr. are not related. Agustín García, Jr. noted that Hinojosa has played key roles with numerous EEDC business development efforts. “We have worked with him, from the planning and zoning perspective, on many of the projects of the EEDC, and he is familiar with all of the engineering and other requirements to get things done in Edinburg,” the EEDC Executive Director further illustrated. “He always has worked very well with the EEDC. A function of the EEDC is to help expedite projects, and our first call is to call Planning and Zoning to see what can be done to help these projects get moving,” Agustín García, Jr. continued. “Mr. Hinojosa has always been accommodating and helped us achieve that success, that is one of the reasons EEDC has been triumphant, because we have such a strong working relationship, not only with the city, but with the Planning and Zoning Department.” Equally important, Hinojosa’s selection will allow the new city manager to implement his own vision of public service that will serve very well both his hometown and fellow city staff members. “I am sure that over the years he has developed the efficiencies that he will want to implement as city manager,” Agustín García, Jr. predicted. “He also understands the culture and the morale at City Hall. He knows who performs well. He has done very well.”
•••••• (more…)
by Legislative Media | Nov 9, 2015 | Politics
Featured: Mayor Pro Tem Homer Jasso, Jr., left, reviews strategies with City Manager Ramiro Garza, Jr., on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Edinburg City Hall. On Tuesday, November 10, 2015, the Mayor and Edinburg City Council are scheduled to meet to discuss and possibly appoint a successor to Garza, who on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, announced he would be leaving his position effective January 1, 2016, to pursue new endeavors.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Actions on the possible selection of a new city manager is set for Tuesday, November 10, when the Edinburg City Council, which includes the mayor, is scheduled to hold an executive session, beginning at 3 p.m. at Edinburg City Hall, which is located at 415 W. University Drive. City Manager Ramiro Garza, Jr., on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, announced he would be leaving his position effective January 1, 2016, to pursue new endeavors. Any decision made by the mayor and city council would have to be made in the open, following the executive session. The meeting follows a previous gathering, held on Monday, November 2, 2015, when the city council went behind closed doors (executive session) – as allowed by state law – to conduct interviews for the soon-to-be vacant city manager position. No decision was finalized following the November 3, 2015 city council session, nor was their any public announcement of the candidates interviewed to take over as the city government’s top administrative leader. Garza, 41, has been responsible for more than 700 employees overseeing a $100 million operational budget. He has also continued to work closely with the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation having collaborated in recruiting new economic development projects that will boost the city’s economy by more than $1.2 billion. The EEDC, of which Agustín García, Jr., is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the 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. Garza served as Executive Director for the EEDC for nine years and three months before he was selected by the Edinburg City Council in November 2009 to serve as city manager. According to the City Council agenda posting, the following items will be deliberated in executive (closed) session regarding: Proposed amendment to current agreement for professional services and employment as city manager to provide for extension of term; Appointment of city manager position; and Proposed agreement for professional services and employment for newly appointed city manager.
•••••• (more…)
by Legislative Media | Nov 5, 2015 | Politics
Featured: City Councilmember Richard Molina, left, and City Manager Ramiro Garza, Jr. review key economic achievements and goals for Edinburg following the State of the City Address, delivered by Mayor Richard García on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at the Edinburg City Auditorium. In the background are Irma Garza, Director of Public Information for the City of Edinburg, and Edinburg Councilmember David Torres.
Photograph By RONNIE LARRALDE
Edinburg’s retail economy from January through September 2015 is more than seven percent ahead of the same period last year, a figure that is better than the statewide average of all Texas cities, which came in with a 4.1 percent improvement when comparing the same nine-month periods, 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. For the month of September 2015, the city’s retail economy registered a 10.98 percent rate of improvement over the same month last year, the EEDC added, according to data released on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Among its many duties, the Texas Comptroller’s office is the state’s chief tax collector, accountant, revenue estimator and treasurer. The 10.98 percent increase over the same month last year was the best showing among the Valley’s larger economies. During the first nine months of 2015, Edinburg’s retail economy produced $18,676,992.00 in local sales taxes, compared with $17,433,497.27 for January through September 2014, resulting in the improvement of 7.13 percent. During September 2015, the city’s retail economy generated $1,864,640.98 in local sales taxes, compared with $1,680,118.10 for September 2014, representing the improvement of almost 11 percent, also according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. 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. The amount of local sales taxes collected also helps reflect the strength of an economy, along with construction activities, per capita income, education, historical performances, and related trends. The sales tax, formally known as the State Sales and Use Tax, is imposed on all retail sales, leases and rentals of most goods, as well as taxable services. Texas cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts have the option of imposing an additional local sales tax for a combined total of state and local taxes of 8 1/4% (.0825). In another development that benefits the Edinburg economy – the upcoming Fall 2016 opening of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine – area leaders on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 announced that the Edinburg-based medical school will join leading medical schools throughout the country in determining best practices for the future of medical education. The School of Medicine has been accepted into the American Medical Association Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium and received a three-year, $75,000 grant to implement a program to help its first cohort of students develop strong communication skills. “Acceptance into this prestigious consortium is evidence of the important role the UTRGV School of Medicine will play in promoting change through innovation in medical and health education,” said Dr. Francisco Fernández, inaugural Dean of the School of Medicine. “Drs. Arden Dingle and Valerie Terry have taken a large step forward with this project, which promotes and improves the communicative skills of students showing the usefulness of an early-offered intervention on patient-physician communication within our medical curriculum. We look forward to seeing the results of their work and congratulate them on their participation in the consortium,” he said. The grant project, “Using Technology to Enhance the Pedagogy of Interpersonal Communication in Medicine,” involves having medical students use computer tablets to log patients’ oral histories, record group interactions and document other interpersonal interactions in a variety of activities, including some of the School of Medicine’s interprofessional initiatives.
•••••• (more…)
by Legislative Media | Nov 3, 2015 | Politics
Featured: Martin Baylor, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, holds up a plaque recognizing UTRGV for its Tree Campus USA designation, during a ceremony on Thursday, October 22, 2015, at the Chapel Lawn on the Edinburg Campus. The cities of Edinburg and McAllen each recognized UTRGV with a proclamation.
Photograph By PAUL CHOUY
Soon after local leaders helped celebrate the designation of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg Campus, home to nearly 2,000 trees, as a Tree Campus USA, the attention of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation will be focused in Austin for the Wednesday, November 4, and Thursday, November 5, public meeting of The University of Texas System Board of Regents. On those two days, the regents will take action on dozens of measures impacting the UT System statewide, including at least two items of particular importance the UTRGV Edinburg Campus – a discussion and appropriate action regarding proposed provisional Mission Statement, to be presented by UTRGV President Guy Bailey – and the proposed purchase of an existing, privately-owned facility and lot at 1615 South Closner Boulevard for office and research lab use. The UT System Board of Regents meeting will be held on the ninth floor of Ashbel Smith Hall, 201 W. 7th Street in Austin, with the agenda book and links to the live webcast for the meeting posted online at
https://www.utsystem.edu/news/2015/10/30/ut-system-regents-meet-nov-4-5. 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. “In partnership with the Edinburg City Council, the EEDC and its Board of Directors work closely with the UTRGV and UT System leadership, along with the state legislative delegation, to support measures that benefit UTRGV’s Edinburg Campus and its soon-to-open UTRGV School of Medicine campus,” said Mayor García. “This has been a long-standing practice that continues to lead to major advances, both in facilities and academic programs, here at home, but which also benefits the entire Rio Grande Valley.” EEDC Board President Iglesias noted that just since August 2015 at the UTRGV Edinburg Campus, there have been major activities that have generated positive attention on the city, its quality-of-life, and continued economic growth. “From the approval by the UT System Board of Regents on August 21 of a $478 million budget for UTRGV’s 2016 fiscal year, to the October 5 groundbreaking of the $70 million UTRGV Science Research Building at the Edinburg Campus, the EEDC Board of Directors, Mayor and City Council remain key figures in this tremendous and documented progress,” said Iglesias. EEDC Executive Director Agustín García, Jr., noted that as a result of the city’s and EEDC’s legislative lobbying efforts, the Texas Legislature last spring approved a financing plan that will soon lead the construction of $37.6 million Interdisciplinary Engineering and Academic Studies Building at the Edinburg Campus. That facility will include a 250-seat lecture auditorium, two 150-seat lecture halls, five 60-seat classrooms, and offices. The project also will include an outdoor pavilion for use as a gathering or study space. The UT System Board of Regents meeting on November 4 and November 5 will continue the momentum, according to summaries of those anticipate actions that are included in the regents’ agenda book.
•••••• (more…)
