Everything Mayor Norma Sepulveda said in her 2024 State of the City Address

HARLINGEN, Texas – While there were a few surprising omissions in her 2024 State of the City Address, Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda did cover a lot of ground in her one-hour presentation.

Sepulveda did not mention the work of the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce, Texas State Technical College, the Port of Harlingen, and Los Indios International Bridge. But she did feature UT-Rio Grande Valley’s growing presence in the city and the accomplishments of Valley International Airport, calling aviation director Marv Esterly, “Harlingen’s superstar.”

And she announced a new shark tank-type program to boost Harlingen’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

In a posting on social media after the event, Sepulveda listed what she thinks were the highlights of her speech. She wrote:

“Reflecting on Last Night… 

“Thank you for the incredible support – the convention center was packed and sold out for the second year in a row! Watching my son and his buddies join Father Alex for the invocation was a highlight of the night for me and set the stage for a memorable evening.

“Here are a few takeaways for those who couldn’t attend:

“Saving Taxpayer Money: $1.2 million saved through in-house projects including Hale Ditch, TXDOT Drain Ditch, Dixieland Sidewalk, Lon C. Hill Trail, Lozano Pond, and expressway lights.

“Grants: Applied for $93 million for city improvements.

“Sales Tax Growth: Taxable sales exceeded $1.6 billion in 2023, with expectations to surpass this in 2024.

 “Lower Tax Rate: This fiscal year, we lowered our tax rate by 10% to 54¢ per $100 of valuation, the lowest in over 20 years!

“ Total Investment: Current and upcoming projects represent $237 million dollars, creating 430 jobs, and contributing $6 million in local sales tax revenue over the next 10 years.

“Supporting Small Businesses: Created the Small Business Advisory Committee, rolled out grants resulting in investment of $400,000 into small businesses in Harlingen.

“Collective Bargaining Agreements: Approved a $1.35 million increase for our police officers and secured 6%, 7%, and 8% base salary increases over the next three years for our firefighters.

“Drainage Crew Efforts: Established a dedicated drainage department within our Public Works Department.

“Airport Improvements: Celebrated the recent ground breaking of our air traffic control tower and the near completion of the runway extension project! 

“Pitch Competition: Announced the “RISE Up Harlingen Pitch Competition,” like Shark Tank, with a first prize of $30,000 for local entrepreneurs.

“Thanks to our incredible sponsors, no tax dollars were spent on this event, and proceeds will go to these wonderful organizations: Blue Sunday Child Abuse Prevention, Valley Haven, Inc., Sunny Glen Children’s Home, and the Junior League of Harlingen.

“Together, we’re making Harlingen a financially responsible and thriving community. Thank you for your support!”

Editor’s Note: Here is an audio recording of Mayor Sepulveda’s remarks:

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