Mayor Garza: What makes Edinburg special? Our community is super engaged

EDINBURG, Texas – Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza says a special feature about his city is that its citizens are very engaged and always come together to make positive things happen.

By way of example he cited the formation of Pan American Junior College and the municipal golf course, and, more recently, landing UT-Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. 

Garza spoke with pride about his city at the introduction to the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s latest Commercial Investment Tour. Land developers, realtors and bankers attended the event. In addition to a bus tour of the city, visitors also watched an in-depth powerpoint presentation by Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Raudel Garza.

“Edinburg was founded in 1908 and it’s a community that’s come a long way,” said Mayor Garza, in his introductory remarks. “Now, people value Edinburg for different reasons. Perhaps because it is home to UTRGV. Of because it is the county seat. Or that it is home to all these medical systems that are growing and bringing employment.”

Garza said Edinburg has been a “very resilient community” for many years.

“They (Edinburg citizens) have always come together to achieve the things they wanted. They make things happen, the community, the residents.”

Garza then took a trip down memory lane.

“It all started back with the junior college, Pan American. When it got started, it was here at the Edinburg School  District. If you ever wonder how it (UTRGV) started, it started with the Edinburg School District. They (the community) wanted to have higher education. They brought it here. They actually went out for a bond issue and went out and bought all the land that UTRGV is now housed on. It was the residents that felt like, we want to have this here in our community.”

Garza said Edinburg citizens also wanted a golf course and a country club. 

“They came together and formed the Echo (Hotel), which still stands today, with the Ebony Hills golf course. They came together and found a way to do that.”

Garza said local residents also wanted to see industry grow in Edinburg.

“They formed a foundation back then and brought Haggar clothing company. This building is now part of UTRGV, right off the expressway.”

Garza then focused on the Edinburg of today.

“The medical school was also something that the residents of Edinburg worked together on, with the whole Valley (legislative) delegation. They wanted a medical school here. All the cities came together, and I think it (the medical school project) was the start of our region coming together to do things that are in the best interests of our whole region.”

Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza, Edwards Abstract & Title Company Vice President Elva Jackson Garza, and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Raudel Garza. (Photo credit: RGV Partnership)

Mayor Garza says he gets asked a lot, how did you become a four-time All-America City. “What makes Edinburg an All-America City is, it’s a very engaging community,” he said, answering that question.

Mayor Garza used to run the city’s economic development corporation. He said he would get people walk up to him and say, I want to bring a particular restaurant to Edinburg. He said he is sure current the EDC chief, Raudel Garza, gets the same degree of direct engagement for the citizenry.

“It (Edinburg) continues to be driven by citizens being engaged,” Mayor Garza said.

Garza said Edinburg’s population is now over 100,000. “It continues to grow and as elected officials, we have a big responsibility, because we have to make sure we keep up with all the infrastructure. But we’ve done that. We have over $60 million that we’re investing right now in our city.”

Garza encouraged those in the audience to go to the City of Edinburg’s website. He said they would find there a GIS portal.

“If you want to know where all the subdivisions in the city of Edinburg are being built, how many lots are being developed, you can find that information on our website,” Garza said. “We have a dashboard where we show you all the projects that are happening, all the construction, from road improvements and drainage, they’re all there. We want to make sure that everybody has access to that.”

Garza added: “I think each community (in the RGV) has something to offer. For us, being home to the university, the medical school, being the county seat, having all these hospital systems, having all the interstate frontage that we have, our opportunities are endless. But it’s up to us to make sure we make it happen.”

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