RioPlex in Houston: Four Valley mayors explain their legislative priorities

HOUSTON, Texas – Four mayors from the Rio Grande Valley appeared together as panelists at RioPlex’s recent Texas Port to the Stars Foreign Direct Investment Summit in Houston.

The four were: Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza, and Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda.

The panel moderator was Texas Association of Business President Glenn Hamer. One of Hamer’s questions focused on the issues the mayors would like to see legislators address during the current 89th Legislature, especially in the economic development or education arenas.

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Mayor Villalobos said he would like to see the Legislature “loosen up” the current restrictions on what a university or college can spend their funding on.

Mayor Cowen said he would like to see the Legislature provide more funding for transportation. “More funding for transportation, I think that’s something that we all face as a region. We are growing into a metroplex, and we need more connectivity. We need to be able to accelerate that, that growth when it comes to transportation funding,” he said.

Mayor Sepulveda said UT-Rio Grande Valley has pleasingly expanded its footprint in her city, especially when it comes to the medical sector.

“So, recently they received a $30 million grant to create the Diabetes Center of Excellence in our community. Those of you that live along the border know how important that is, we do have a high prevalence of diabetes in our community because we have really good food on both sides of the border,” Sepulveda said.

“And so, research is important. They (UTRGV) will have a limb preservation clinic also. This is going to provide opportunities, not only to support our community and ensure that we’re living healthy, long lives, but also provide job opportunities for our community.”

Sepulveda added: “It’s important that they (UTRGV) get the additional funding to be able to open that university, the Institute of Neuroscience in our community, the podiatry school in our community.”

Sepulveda also gave a shout-out to Texas State Technical College.

“TSTC has been a incredible economic engine within our community. The way that they are funded is by job placement. So, they are very motivated to ensure that their students obtain high paying jobs.”

Mayor Gonzalez Garza said her top issue is water.

“I think the issue that we’re facing, and everybody throughout the state is facing, is the issue of water. We need to explore alternate water sources. We can’t depend on just the Rio Grande River for our water source. There has to be some sort of alternative sources,” Gonzalez Garza said. “So that’s one thing I believe that would help our economic development… without water, we can’t grow.”

Mayor Villalobos agreed. He said the City of McAllen is working on a groundwater plan that would benefit neighboring cities like Mission, Edinburg, Pharr, San Juan and Alamo. “We’re looking at a project of about $250 million. So, instead of just depending on the Rio Grande River, (we would) start pulling groundwater.”

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