Texas Border Business
Since Joseph Palacios became County Commissioner for Precinct 4 seven years ago, his calendar has been loaded with activities. The growth of the area keeps him busy, as well as the rest of the commission. They are responsible for building drainage and mobility infrastructure.
He told Texas Border Business that before becoming a county commissioner, he acted as the Chief of Staff for Hidalgo County Precinct 1. He has also served in different capacities in local and state government. “Before that, I’ve served in the United States Armed forces as a flight medic,” he said.
During a recent town hall meeting in McAllen, he showed enlarged renderings of critical projects related to infrastructure that are coming to Hidalgo County. “Yes, infrastructure is first and foremost, the need for better roads, better mobility, more comprehensive drainage infrastructure, and quality of life projects,” he stated. “We’re not a county that is the status quo by any means, so the challenge is to keep up with that growth on our end,” Palacios emphasized.
He also said, “I think these days commissioners need to be well versed not just in business but in infrastructure and construction.”
Palacios knows that the key for Hidalgo County is to continue building infrastructure in urban and rural areas. He said that the growth of the county is monumental.
“It doesn’t take much for people to realize that it’s hard to move around now,” he said. “It used to be much easier, when you can get on the freeway and in a couple of minutes you’re in the heart of McAllen. Now, if you live right in the middle of McAllen, it takes you 20 minutes to get to the expressway again.”
This month, the county celebrated the beginning of construction of 10th Street, which will build a five-lane road from University Drive to Monte Cristo Road. The mega-million-dollar investment is one-of-a-kind and lands in Palacios’ Precinct 4. Thanks to a partnership created by Commissioner Palacios, the State of Texas will pay $13 million dollars of this $16-million-dollar project.
Commissioner Palacios currently sits as Vice-Chair of the Hidalgo County MPO. The Hidalgo County MPO currently has over $400 million in projected road infrastructure to be spent over the next decades. Palacios believes that once this county hits the one-million-mark in population by 2020, there are going to be 100 to 120 million dollars in additional state funding for mobility infrastructure. Today, there are only 14 million dollars available per year. “When we cross that bridge, it is going to be a catapult. It’s going to be the biggest catalyst in infrastructure, and it’s going to allow us to do so much more for local projects,” he said.
Palacios also said, “On the MPO merger side, if we were to merge the metro areas we would surpass the population bridge.” Palacios said that the governor of Texas believes that if the Hidalgo County MPO and the Cameron County MPOs merge, they can qualify for the much-needed infrastructure dollars that the state has.
Palacios is married to Misti Palacios. Joseph is a family man, with three daughters and one son. “My oldest is in college, and my youngest is nine years old in grammar school, so I get diverse perspectives from my two daughters.”
“Misti and I are very close to our kids. I also participate in my kids’ education and follow up with their homework and ensure that they are excelling on all levels.” He said, “It is a challenge.”
He said, “I am a man of faith. I believe that the ultimate form of leadership is serving others.”
Palacios is a proud Veteran; he enlisted during the Desert Storm War. “I served as a flight medic for the United States Army; I was stationed in Germany.”
Being part of the army gave him a bigger perspective of the world. “We would go to countries that don’t have the liberties that we have. As a 19-year-old, seeing that allowed me to appreciate America and what we have here today.” For that reason, Palacios has a 24-hour-a-day commitment to protecting the freedom and liberty of the citizens of Hidalgo County.
