2025 RGV Legislative Tour, Day Three: Transportation

MCALLEN, Texas – The new chairman of Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority, Robert L. Lozano, says he never realized just how much politics is involved in local transportation funding issues. 

However, he hastened to add that that is not a bad thing.

Lozano, who was appointed to his post by Gov. Greg Abbott roughly three months ago, spoke about his business career and the work of HCRMA at a 2025 RGV Legislative Tour event. The event, hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, took place at Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen. 

Lozano and his family own the Dairy Queen franchise across South Texas. He said he got good advice from a mentor early on his business career.

“The advice was two things. He said, don’t, mess with the help. Pretty good advice. And, he said, don’t get your business involved in politics. I also thought that was pretty good advice, and we set out to pretty much live that way. We gave back. We were involved in different ways,” Lozano said.

The audience included state lawmakers from across Texas.

“Thank you to each of you that are serving your communities, in the Legislature or the positions that you’re in, where it’s a position where, that’s the way you give back, and it is politics.”

Lozano said he initially said no to serving on the HCRMA board of directors. He felt he did not know much about transportation and had given back to the community in many ways.

“I came to the RMA and quickly realized that… really, I didn’t give it enough thought. I had said ‘no’ but then I said I would pray about it, I would talk to my family about it, which we did. But I really didn’t consider the amount of quote, unquote, politics involved. But you know what? Let’s not look at that as a bad thing,” Lozano said.

“It’s normal and natural and good, actually, that each of y’all are representing the areas you represent, and that the local mayors are saying, hey, I need for McAllen, or that our city manager, thank you, Isaac, and the great job that you’re doing, and your staff are doing here in McAllen as leaders. But it’s a good thing that they’re saying, I need for my community because they’re saying I need for my constituency, my people.”

Lozano acknowledged that he did not know much about what an RMA did, at first. 

“You know, I’ve been in the community for years. I’ve done all kinds of different things. But I had no idea what a regional mobility authority is. And I think a lot of us are still maybe even a little confused about what it is. But let me tell you, I’m learning. I’m picking it up pretty quick, and I’m understanding that, yes, there’s politics involved, but the politics of it is people in communities pulling for their part of the community, which is normal and is natural, and understandable and think goodness that they are.”

Editor’s Note: Here is a video recording of Robert Lozano’s full speech at the 2025 RGV Legislative Tour event:

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