Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

HARLINGEN, Texas - Tax season is almost here.   Rev Torres, a paralegal with the Texas Taxpayer Assistance Project, says that over the last few years there has been an increase in the number of individuals that are self-employed and individuals that work in the gig economy such as ride-share or delivery jobs.   The Texas Taxpayer Assistance Project wants taxpayers who are self-employed to be prepa...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Megan Rodriguez, a community and economic development agent for Prairie View A&M University Extension Service in Willacy and Cameron County, has announced details of this year’s BID Academy. The Business In Development (BID) Academy helps small businesses access state government contracts. It is free to join. “The BID Academy is one of our signature programs. Last year we...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - State Rep. Erin Elizabeth Gámez of Brownsville has led the tributes to former state Rep. René Oliveira, who has passed away at the age of 68. Oliveira served as Brownsville’s representative in the Texas House for 33 years, from 1981 to 2019. He sat out two terms in the House when he ran unsuccessfully for the Texas Senate. At the time he left office in 2019 he was dean of the...

PHARR, Texas - How does Pharr punch above its weight to secure state and federal funding for transportation projects, not just in the city but the Rio Grande Valley as a whole. Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez gave his assessment in his 2024 State of the City address. “The City of Pharr is proud to have spearheaded and played a monumental role in our regional historical transportation infrastructure accom...

PHARR, Texas - Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez has explained why his city invested heavily in a blazing fast, citywide, fiber-to-the-home broadband. “Internet companies chose not to service south Pharr, which excluded many families for this critical service,” said Hernandez, during his 2024 State of the City address. The event was held at the Pharr Events Center.  In his remarks, Hernandez said the...

MCALLEN, Texas - State Sen. Juan Hinojosa received applause from the audience when he gave an example of the Rio Grande Valley legislative delegation working together. The example he gave was unity in support of a 2nd Causeway for South Padre Island. Hinojosa spoke about the 2nd Causeway in remarks he gave at the “Rio Grande Valley Legislators Appreciation Reception.” The event, hosted by the Rio...

MCALLEN, Texas - State Rep. R.D. ‘Bobby’ Guerra is encouraging his constituents to ask as many questions as possible of him. “Increasing transparency and efficiency in government is the upmost important thing that we do and I hope you all ask us questions, because that's the only way you're going to know what what we're doing,” Guerra said, at an event hosted recently by the Rio Gra...

MCALLEN, Texas - Eric Hamon, president & CEO of Driscoll Health System, says Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley will open within the next couple of months. Hamon and Matt Wolthoff, president of Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley, spoke about their system’s plans for the region at a recent “Rio Grande Valley Legislators Appreciation Reception hosted by the Rio Grande Val...

MCALLEN, Texas - State Rep. Terry Canales, a three-term chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, is perhaps best known for securing millions of dollars for transportation in the Rio Grande Valley.  However, he told the audience at a Rio Grande Valley Partnership event on Wednesday evening that henceforth his priority will be water.  The event, held at the Radisson Hotel in McAllen, was t...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Brownsville City Manager Helen Ramirez says the proposed Capital Recovery Fee program is being developed to improve the quality of life of the city’s residents. The plan is to impose a one-time charge on developers as they begin new projects. The fees raised would go towards roadway improvements. Certain exemptions are being built into the program, such as affordable housing p...

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - Edmund Haas, a transportation planning manager with Freese & Nichols, spoke in depth about the City of Brownsville’s proposed Capital Recovery Fee program at a public hearing held at city hall on Jan. 16.  Freese & Nichols are consultants to the City of Brownsville on the Capital Recovery Fee initiative.  The plan is to impose a one-time charge on developers as they be...

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - Land developer Dennis Sanchez spoke about the City of Brownsville’s proposed Capital Recovery Fee program at a public hearing held at city hall on Jan. 16.  The plan is to impose a one-time charge on developers as they begin new projects. The fees raised would go towards roadway improvements. Certain exemptions are being built into the program, such as affordable housing proje...

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - Real estate attorney Renee Sanchez spoke about the City of Brownsville’s proposed Capital Recovery Fee program at a public hearing held at city hall on Jan. 16.  The plan is to impose a one-time charge on developers as they begin new projects. The fees raised would go towards roadway improvements. Certain exemptions are being built into the program, such as affordable housing...

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - Affordable housing expert Nick Mitchell-Bennett spoke about the City of Brownsville’s proposed Capital Recovery Fee program at a public hearing held at city hall on Jan. 16.  The plan is to impose a one-time charge on developers as they begin new projects. The fees raised would go towards roadway improvements. Certain exemptions are being built into the program, such as afford...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Brownsville City Commission wants to terminate its two economic development organizations -  Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation and Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation - and replace them with a municipal development district. The new entity would be called the Greater Brownsville Municipal Development District.  Whether this happens will depend on voters livi...

Reynosa, Tamaulipas - The State of Tamaulipas will have to improve the educational attainment level of its students if it is to land a giant manufacturing plant similar to Tesla in Nuevo León. This is the view of Index Reynosa President Raúl Setién. Index is the trade association for the maquiladora industry.  “You mentioned Nuevo León. Nuevo León has been mentioned many times because of the Tesla...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A ribbon cutting ceremony and open house was held Friday, Jan. 12, for the City of Brownsville’s new Communications and Marketing Department & Convention and Visitors Bureau Complex. The multi-million dollar complex, which is situated on East Adams Street in downtown Brownsville, will also house the Office of Space Commerce. It is located next door to the eBridge Center fo...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Brownsville City Manager Helen Ramirez has explained how her city is working on a regional to improve transportation ahead of major developments at the Port of Brownsville and the growth of SpaceX at Bob Chica. The biggest development at the port is construction of a liquefied natural gas export terminal by NextDecade. At the height of construction it is expected that 5,000 wo...

MERCEDES, Texas - Rina Castillo, a community and economic development agent for Prairie View A&M University Extension, has announced details of a program to help minority owned businesses become certified for state government contracts. Prairie View has a HUB workshop slated to be held in Mercedes on January 25. Soon afterwards, the university will host a Business in Development (BID) Academy,...

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - The City of Brownsville, working with consultants Freese & Nichols, hosted a public meeting at the Brownsville Events Center on Monday, Jan. 8, to discuss the proposed capital recovery fees program.  The plan is to impose a one-time charge on developers as they begin new projects. The fees raised would go towards roadway improvements.  At the meeting, builder Javier Peña,...

MISSION, Texas - Mission Economic Development Corporation board member Noel Salinas says he was saddened to be removed from the organization. This happened at this week’s Mission City Council meeting. Salinas served on the MEDC board at the pleasure of the council. Salinas said he believes he was removed for speaking out about a certain city council action. Namely, failing to send the EDC its righ...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Two opponents of the Texas LNG export terminal project slated to be built at the Port of Brownsville gave public comments at a Cameron County Commissioners Court meeting. Mary Angela Branch of Port Isabel and Kenneth Saxon of Brownsville urged commissioners not to give tax abatements worth tens of millions of dollars to Texas LNG. They each had up to three minutes to speak.  B...

MISSION, Texas - A Mission Economic Development Corporation board member says his popularity in the community must have risen since news broke about the City of Mission having financial issues. Noel Salinas has been criticized by Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza for confirming to a local newspaper that the City of Mission held back more than $3 million in sales tax revenues over seven months that should...

MISSION, Texas – Mission Mayor Pro Tem Ruben Plata has given more interviews about the failure of city officials to send sales tax revenues to the Mission Economic Development Corporation. About $3.1 million was withheld, without Plata’s knowledge. The nonpayments started last April. Plata, a banker, said he only learned about it in early December.  In an interview with Rio Grande Guardian Interna...

MISSION, Texas - Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza has given more interviews about the failure of city officials to send sales tax revenues to the Mission Economic Development Corporation. About $3.1 million was withheld, without her knowledge. The nonpayments started last April. Mayor Gonzalez Garza said she only learned about it in late November. In an interview with KRGV-TV and the Rio Grande...