Port Mansfield residents to decide on incorporation amid growing divide

PORT MANSFIELD, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The quiet fishing community of Port Mansfield, known for its scenic waters and small-town charm, is now facing a defining decision: Whether to incorporate and form its own city government.

On Tuesday, residents will head to the polls to vote on incorporation — a move that could change the way the community governs itself and manages local issues.

For supporters, the effort is about self-rule and local control.

“It’s really about self-rule and self-control,” said mayoral candidate Holly Trojcak. “The people of Port Mansfield are a recreational community, and it’s vital to the livelihood of our community to keep it that way.”

The push for incorporation began after the Willacy County Navigation District explored plans to bring cargo from Mexico through the Port Mansfield harbor. Many residents said the idea threatened their quiet way of life.

Trojcak says becoming a city would give residents more say in what happens within their community.

“They didn’t do any economic impact studies on the harbor," Trojcak said. "They didn’t do any traffic management studies on the road that they built and now we’re kind of stuck with this mess. We want to be able to control that type of environment.”

If the measure passes, Trojcak hopes to create zoning regulations to limit industrial development and instead focus on tourism and fishing — the industries that define Port Mansfield.

City commission candidates Robert Flores and Gary Burton share that vision. Both say they want to address sewage, electricity, and road problems that they believe have been neglected by the county.

“You get in certain areas, and you start smelling sewage coming out of the shower and drainage,” Burton said. “Our sewage out here is above ground, so when it starts to back up, there can be serious foul smells.”

Flores says these problems can be fixed without raising taxes.

“We’re actually harnessing the hotel occupancy tax, which is funding projects in the county and not within the city of Port Mansfield,” Flores said. “That money should be used here.”

But not everyone agrees with the idea of incorporation.

City commission candidate Fred Collins says the move could lead to more government and higher taxes.

“Somebody is going to realize there’s a lot of money to be made in ad valorem tax in Port Mansfield,” Collins said. “They will realize they cannot operate a city with a zero budget.”

Mayoral candidate Ruben Garza Jr. shares those concerns.

“You can’t run it on wishes and hopes,” Garza said. “You would have to build up a general fund somehow, and unfortunately, raising taxes is the way to do it.”

Local business owner Colby Brandon also voted against incorporation, saying residents already pay enough in taxes.

“More government is never the answer,” Brandon said. “More government and more taxes and more regulation — I’m not interested in that at all. That’s why I voted no.”

Opponents say a sales tax would still require voter approval but likely wouldn’t bring in enough money to sustain city operations since Port Mansfield has few stores.

As the community prepares to vote, some worry the issue has divided neighbors in what was once a tight-knit town.

“This was a tight community just a couple of years ago before all this started,” Collins said. “Right now, we’ve got neighbors against neighbors and people bickering on social media.”

No matter the outcome, Tuesday’s vote will determine whether Port Mansfield remains under county control — or takes its first step toward becoming its own city.