Cameron County’s small cities to have their own Day at the Capitol

HARLINGEN, Texas – The Cameron County Small Cities Coalition is hosting its first ever “Day at the Capitol” event. 

The day is February 26. In addition to being recognized on the floors of the Texas House and Senate, the coalition has meetings set up with officials from Texas Parks & Wildlife, the Texas Water Association, the Texas Water Development Board, and the Governor’s Office. 

There will also be an evening reception on the rooftop of the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives building next to the Capitol.

“This is going to be the very first time that we go as a huge delegation on our own,” said Greater Harlingen Chamber President Javier De Leon. “We’re excited.”

The Greater Harlingen Chamber helped set up the Cameron County Small Cities Coalition and acts as its administrative arm.

Editor’s Note: Here is a video recording of the Rio Grande Guardian’s interview with Javier De Leon:

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The Cameron County Small Cities Coalition comprises ten cities. They are: San Benito, La Feria, Rio Hondo, Los Indios, Santa Rosa, Rancho Viejo, Los Fresnos, Palm Valley, Primera, and Combes. In addition, the coalition comprises Cameron County Drainage District No. 3, Cameron County Drainage District No. 5, Cameron County Drainage District No. 6, and Cameron County Irrigation District No. 3.

De Leon said the coalition has agreed to focus solely on three top regional issues when it meets with legislators and state agency officials. Those issues are water and drainage, parks, and streets. 

“The cities, along with the drainage districts and irrigation districts, are coming together because they understand the importance of collaboration and the importance of focusing on regional initiatives,” said Rolando Vela, general manager of Cameron County Drainage District No. 5.

“They also understand the importance of seeking opportunity. They understand what benefits one community benefits all. So, we want to highlight to our legislators that we are working together.”

De Leon agreed.

“We’re going to talk about regional needs. We know we need to be laser focused. So we all agreed to concentrate on three or four regional needs that affects all of us. Those needs are irrigation and drainage, the need for clean water, streets and state parks for the community,” De Leon said. 

De Leon said some of the members in the coalition are so small that they’ve never really had an opportunity to go to the Capitol and speak. 

“When you have a population of 400 or you have a population of 1,000 or 2,000, you feel the legislators are not going to listen. They’re going to listen more to McAllen or Brownsville or Harlingen. But when you get all those ten cities working together, that probably is just as powerful than one big city going to Austin.”

“When you get all the mayors and all the city managers together, all talking with one voice and with one need. that’s powerful.”

Itinerary

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The coalition has reserved Room E2.020 in the Capitol Extension from 8:00 am to 12 noon on Feb. 26. Justin Rhodes, deputy state park director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will speak and interact with coalition members from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 am. Stacey Steinbach, with the Texas Water Association, will do the same between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 am. And Bryan McMath, with the Texas Water Development Board, will do the same between 11:00 a.m. and 12 noon.

At 1:30 p.m., the coalition meets with Toby Baker, deputy chief of staff for Governor Abbott in the Governor’s Office. 

The evening reception will take place on the rooftop of the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives building, located at 316 W. 12th Street, Suite 200. It starts at 5:30 pm.

“Everyone going knows they need to get ready to be laser focused and to get ready to be rock stars from 7:30 in the morning until 9 o’clock at night, because it’s going to be a full day’s worth of of advocating,” De Leon added.

How the Coalition started

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De Leon explained how the coalition came about.

“Three years ago, we brought in a lot of the small cities that didn’t have a chamber of commerce, cities like Los Indios, Combes, Palm Valley, Primera, and they became part of the Greater Chamber of Harlingen. This way we could help be their voice,” De Leon said.

“And yet, at the same time, those small cities helped Harlingen, and Harlingen helped those small cities. So that’s kind of how that coalition started.”

De Leon continued:

“And as the years went on, we started becoming stronger, and a lot more small cities that didn’t have chambers came over to us as well. That’s how the group formed.”

De Leon said that working the chamber, the coalition has come together well.

“It’s been going well. We get we get together regularly to talk about issues, but we really get together strongly when the legislative session comes around.”

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