by Legislative Media | Feb 3, 2017 | Politics
Featured: Mayor Richard García makes a point to the audience during his State of the City Address on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Mayor Richard García has joined 28 other border leaders in asking Congress to oppose President Trump’s “reckless policies regarding our U.S. Border and Mexico, our neighbor and trading partner,” according to a letter dated Tuesday, January 31, 2017. The Edinburg Mayor, along with Hidalgo County Judge Ramón García (no relation), Brownsville Mayor Antonio “Tony” Martínez, and Rio Grande City Mayor Joel Villarreal were among the elected and appointed officials who signed the correspondence. The group’s concerns revolve around the public statements and actions, through presidential executive orders, issued by Trump about the Border Wall, immigration policies, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and “border tax” on imports to the U.S. from Mexico. “The President’s recent executive actions and rhetoric threaten not only lasting damage to our country’s relationship with Mexico but severe economic consequences to Border communities and the United States as a whole,” contend the Edinburg Mayor and the other leaders. “We have much to lose as a nation with the approach that the President is taking and we urge you to stand up for our communities and economy in the face of this divisive and dangerous antagonism toward the Border and Mexico.” Executive Orders (EOs) are legally binding orders given by the President, acting as the head of the Executive Branch, to Federal Administrative Agencies. Executive Orders are generally used to direct federal agencies and officials in their execution of congressionally established laws or policies, according to ThisNation.com. Trumps’ executive orders are available online at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_executive_actions_by_Donald_Trump
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by Legislative Media | Jan 31, 2017 | Politics
Featured, from left: Richard Sánchez, Associate Vice President for Governmental Relations, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Verónica Gonzáles, Vice President for Governmental and Community Relations, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, presented a portrait of the inaugural class of students at the School of Medicine in Edinburg to Hidalgo County Judge Ramón García and the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court in appreciation for the financial help from the county. The county has pledged to support the medical school with annual contributions of $1 million for 10 years, beginning in 2014. To date, the county has provided $3 million to the medical school. On Monday, December 12, 2016, Mayor Richard García (no relation to the county judge) presented UTRGV leaders a check for $1 million from the City of Edinburg as part of Edinburg’s agreement to also help support the School of Medicine in Edinburg.
Photograph By EVANA VLECK
In December 2016, Edinburg reached the largest number of full-time employees for the year – 36,850 – according to the Texas Workforce Commission, and the city registered the second-best unemployment rate in the Valley for that month, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. Edinburg’s unemployment rate for December 2016 came in at 5.1 percent, edged only by McAllen’s 4.9 percent unemployment rate, and ahead of Harlingen, which posted a 5.8 percent unemployment rate for that period. Those three cities were the only Valley communities with December 2016 figures under six percent unemployment. Also according to the Texas Workforce Commission, which on Friday, January 20, 2017 released the latest data on jobs in the state, Edinburg saw a growth of more than 1,000 jobs when comparing employment in December 2016 with December 2015. The Texas Workforce Commission reported there were 36,850 people employed in Edinburg during the month of December 2016. That performance represents an increase of 1,072 jobs in Edinburg when comparing the employment figures for December 2016 (36,850) and December 2015 (35,778). The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr. as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Ruppert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Richard García and Agustín García, Jr. are not related.
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by Legislative Media | Jan 27, 2017 | Politics
Featured, from left: Alex Farías, Miss Teen Edinburg 2017; Jacob De León of Memorial Funeral Home, and Chairman of the Board, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Letty González, President, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; J.J. Flores of Chorizo De San Manuel, and Vice Chair, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Johnny Rodríguez, Public Relations, Bert Ogden Dealer Group; Bert García, President, Rio Grande Valley FC Toros Football; Edinburg City Councilmember Richard Molina; Robert Lucio, Executive Manager, Bert Ogden Dealer Group; Richard Hinojosa, Edinburg City Manager; Alex Ríos of Kids College Learning Center and District Office Manager for Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and who is Chairman-elect of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Lee Castro of Legacy Funeral Home, and Member, Board of Directors, Edinburg Chamber of Commerce; Agustín Lozano, Jr., Public Relations, Bert Ogden Dealer Group; Mario Lizcano, Administrator of Community Engagement and Corporate Affairs; and
Lexi Esparza, Miss Edinburg 2017.
Photograph By RONNIE LARRALDE
Local leaders are making final preparations for the 49th Annual Fiesta Edinburg, presented by the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, which will also serve to showcase H-E-B Park, which is the latest in a growing number of impressive entertainment venues in the city, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. H-E-B Park is a $16.8+ million sports and entertainment outdoor complex that features a 9,700 seat capacity soccer-specific stadium, a park with a playground, an amphitheater with a capacity of 2,000 individuals, and lighted parking. On Tuesday, December 20, 2016, Fiesta Edinburg officials announced the four-day event – set for Thursday, February 23, 2017 through Sunday, February 26, 2017 – would be moving to a new location, the H-E-B Park, located at 1616 S. Raul Longoria Rd. in Edinburg. In previous years, the popular fiesta was held at the Edinburg Municipal Park. “We are excited about the new venue and we know our festival fans are going to love it as well,” said Letty González, President of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce. “The facilities are state-of-the-art and this is going to create a statement environment like no other. The amphitheater is going to be electric.” The Edinburg EDC is one of the major sponsors for Fiesta Edinburg 2017. The Edinburg EDC, whose Executive Director is Agustín García, Jr., is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Ruppert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members.
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by Legislative Media | Jan 24, 2017 | Politics
Featured: Janiece Longoria of Houston, a renowned attorney who was born in McAllen and grew up in Pharr, was one of three Texans appointed on Monday, January 23, 2017 by Gov. Greg Abbott to the University of Texas System Board of Regents, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. If approved by the Texas Senate, she would serve on one of the most powerful state boards, which controls tens of billions of dollars for the UT System, including money for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the School of Medicine campuses in Edinburg. Her term would begin on February 1, 2017 and end on February 1, 2023.
Photograph by: Scott Dalton
Janiece Longoria may soon be joining fellow attorney Ernest Aliseda of McAllen as a current UT System regent with deep roots in the Rio Grande Valley. Aliseda was appointed to a six-year term on the nine-member UT System Board of Regents by Gov. Rick Perry in February 2013. Longoria is a daughter of the late Sen. Raúl Longoria, D-Pharr, who was a civil rights activist in the Texas Legislature, both in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate, where he represented Hidalgo County. The Edinburg Mayor and the Edinburg City Council, along with the Edinburg EDC Board of Directors, lobby the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents on behalf of the UTRGV and School of Medicine campuses in Edinburg. Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director for the Edinburg EDC, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr. as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Rupert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Agustín García, Jr. and Mayor Richard García are not related.
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by Legislative Media | Jan 6, 2017 | Politics
Featured: The Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council, on Tuesday, January 3, 2016, continued to build on the city’s growing transportation system by moving forward with another cutting-edge trend in mobility – a Community Bike Share Program. In general, a bike sharing program is defined as an innovative transportation program, ideal for short distance point-to-point trips providing users the ability to pick up a bicycle at any self-serve bike-station and return it to any other bike station located within the system’s service area. The station shown here is on the Edinburg Campus of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Photograph By DAVID PIKE
With their full support, the mayor and city council members authorized the city manager to enter into an Interlocal Cooperation Contract between the city and university that will allow UTRGV to manage the Community Bike Share Program. “The City of Edinburg and UTRGV have been working on a Community Bike Share Program that will serve both the university community and the residents and visitors of Edinburg,” said Assistant City Manager Sonia Marroquín. “A bike share system can provide improved, safer bicycle and pedestrian commuting and recreational opportunities. This program will have a positive impact on community wellness by encouraging exercise and replacing some automobile trips with bicycle trips.” The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation is scheduled to pay for half of the total, two-year contract, which will not exceed $68,400, effective January 3, 2017 and ending on January 2, 2019. Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director for the Edinburg EDC, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. “Among our many assets, Edinburg already features Interstate Highway 69, the South Texas International Airport at Edinburg, and a planned transit facility between City Hall and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and the mayor, city council, and Edinburg EDC and its board of directors, in conjunction with our legislative teams in Austin and Washington, D.C., continue to seek state and federal funds for these and other important infrastructure to serve our community, improve the quality of life, promote economic growth, and create more jobs,” said Agustín García, Jr. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr. as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Rupert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Agustín García, Jr. and Mayor Richard García are not related.
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