It is our pleasure to present to you our Fiscal Year 2021 Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation Annual Report; a brief collection of success stories, an economic impact overview, and financial information that represent the organization’s growth throughout the year as we focused on quality of life and business development.
President & CEO
As President and Chief Executive Officer for the community’s economic development organization, it is my responsibility to advocate for transparency and community engagement to derive equitable economic development projects that impact the lives of every stakeholder interested in the growth of
Brownsville, Texas.
We are proud to showcase the highlights of fiscal year 2021, even though the year continued to be as challenging as 2020. The pandemic and its impact continue to be prevalent in our region; however, the financial information we report through this report will show immediately how resilient and dynamic our local economic can be during economic adversity.
Although our three border bridges remained closed and a drop in leisure tourists was recorded, our business community adapted quickly with the help of resources offered by the federal, state, and local government. In addition, our community renewed its interest changing their consumer behaviors by shopping local and promoting locally sourced goods and services. These side effects of economic instability proved that Brownsville has so much to offer. It is reflected in sales tax and hotel occupancy tax revenues for Brownsville, Texas. This effect has also resulted in amazing partnerships with private foundations, new investors, and entrepreneurs to continue driving our growth forward. Through the enhancements of programs such as the BCICʼs “Business Improvement & Growth Grant Program” and “StartUp Texas”, we had a year full of amazing success stories that we are proud to share in our annual report.
As you read through this report, I personally invite you to think about the following statement: Brownsville, Texas is experiencing growth at an unprecedented pace that could not have been predicted prior to the announcement of great companies such as SpaceX. The city is being validated of a growth potential that was always present but never capitalized on. What are we doing to take ownership of these opportunities, and what are we doing to control the direction of this growth? This is not a responsibility exclusive for elected officials or government employees. It is a responsibility and an invitation for every Brownsville native out there.
The opportunity is now.
Sincerely,
| Josh Mejia, President & CEO |
