Weslaco police chief to head Hidalgo County Urban County Program

After almost seven years of service, Weslaco Police Chief Joel Rivera has announced his departure from the Mid-Valley police force as he instead takes the reins as director of the Hidalgo County Urban County Program.

Officials selected Rivera to head up the program, which oversees the administration and disbursement of federal infrastructure dollars, during a Nov. 26 meeting of the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court.

Rivera’s departure from Weslaco was subsequently made official during a special recognition at a Weslaco City Commission meeting on Tuesday.

There, the chief thanked God, his family and the city of Weslaco for the privilege of serving as chief.

“I’m extremely proud of the Weslaco Police Department,” Rivera said.

“It is bittersweet because I know I’m leaving behind a lot of good people,” he said.

Rivera explained how he had been recruited for the chief position by former Weslaco Mayor David Suarez, who, at the time, was working to rebuild the community’s trust after a massive public corruption and bribery scheme had rocked “The City on the Grow.”

Rivera took the oath of office as Weslaco police chief in April 2018. The ensuing years, he said, “passed in a blink of an eye.”

But in those years, Rivera has also accomplished his goals.

“I was brought on board to be able to complete some very specific tasks, such as provide stability and bring some innovation. And we did those things,” Rivera said.

“Together, the men and women of the Weslaco Police Department, we did those things. And I’m super proud of my time here,” he added.

It’s that ability to get things done — to right a ship in need of a steadying hand — that made Rivera stand out to county officials from among a pool of four applicants.

Joel Rivera is seen during a city commission meeting Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Weslaco. (Courtesy photo)

Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez on Thursday praised the longtime lawman for his administrative acumen.

“His maturity, his education. The fact that he has been a chief, you know, managing a large group of people. His ability to work with others,” Cortez said, describing the qualities that made Rivera the county’s perfect pick.

Among the candidates who applied for the job were Armando Casa, who once serves as chief of staff for Precinct 2 Commissioner Eduardo “Eddie” Cantu, and now serves as the “No. 2” position within the Urban County Program.

And former Mission City Manager Randy Perez, who resigned from that position earlier this year under a cloud of financial mismanagement decisions whose fallout included the termination of that city’s finance director, and the imposition of several financial austerity measures.

Back at the county, however, officials are excited for Rivera to take the helm at the Urban County program, which has been without permanent leadership for several months.

“Part of what I’ve seen of him is just his ability to reorganize, to come into an existing organization and try to make it more efficient, more accountable,” Precinct 1 Commissioner David Fuentes said.

The program has experienced significant turnover over the last year, with its previous director, Marissa Garza, leaving for a position at the city of Edinburg, and a number of “interim” directors leading the program ever since.

Fuentes described Rivera as someone who will bring stability back to the department.

The Hidalgo County Commissioners Court are seen during a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (Courtesy photo)

The Urban County Program is responsible for administering millions in federal dollars through two main arteries, Fuentes said.

Some of the funding gets dispersed to the county and its municipalities through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, program.

Those dollars ultimately fund large scale infrastructure projects in low- and moderate-income level communities, affordable housing, community centers and more.

Urban County also manages federal grant dollars that are used for disaster relief, Fuentes said.

As director of the program, Rivera will be responsible for coordinating that funding and those project needs with multiple city leaders throughout the county.

“It’s pretty demanding when you have to deal with a bunch of local governments and all these elected officials,” Fuentes said.

“You have to have a pretty good capacity for being able to communicate effectively while also trying to achieve these goals of spending this money,” he said.

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