Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar met Monday with City of Pharr officials to discuss local priorities following redistricting that returned the city to his congressional district.
The meeting took place at the Pharr Economic Development Corporation office and included senior city officials and department leaders who presented updates on major city initiatives, infrastructure projects, economic development, and operational priorities.
According to city officials, the briefing focused on Pharr’s management approach, economic growth, broadband expansion, housing partnerships, and the ongoing expansion of the Pharr International Bridge.
City leaders said Pharr operates under the Malcolm Baldrige framework, a management model focused on data-driven decision-making and performance measurement. Officials said the approach has contributed to measurable outcomes, including a reported 23% reduction in crime.
Deputy City Manager Cynthia Garza-Reyes said the city’s municipally owned broadband network, Pharr Connect, has become a national model for affordable internet access. “We are one of two communities in Texas that owns our own network,” Garza-Reyes said while discussing the program’s development and expansion.
Officials said Pharr Connect currently provides affordable internet access to more than 60% of city residents and is expanding its role through a new fiber certification school intended to support workforce training.
The city also highlighted recent economic development efforts, including the arrival of major employers. Officials said MasterBrand is building a one-million-square-foot facility in Pharr, a project city leaders cited as evidence of continued economic growth.
Victor Perez, president of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, credited city leadership for recent progress. “I never expected Pharr to be where we’re at right now, but it’s through the leadership of the mayor, Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, and the city council, City Manager Jonathan Flores, his team, that we have at City Hall that makes our job easier,” Perez said.
Officials also discussed collaboration between the city and the Pharr Housing Authority, including using Community Development Block Grant funding to help residents, including veterans, gain internet access through Pharr Connect.
A major focus of the meeting involved the expansion of the Pharr International Bridge, which officials said is 95% complete. The project will expand the bridge from four commercial lanes to eight and include dedicated Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) commercial fast lanes intended to improve trade efficiency and reduce wait times.
Luis Bazan, director of the Pharr International Bridge, said the goal is to improve traffic flow rather than simply increase capacity. “We cannot build bridges to be waiting on top of the bridge. We’re not building parking lots,” Bazan said.
City officials said Pharr has invested more than $150 million in bridge infrastructure and related projects, with portions of the work accelerated through public-private partnership models.
“The city has put in over 150 million just on bridge projects, bridge infrastructure,” Garza-Reyes said, describing the city’s long-term investment in its international port of entry.
According to the city, officials also discussed future federal funding opportunities and policy matters related to bridge operations, infrastructure, trade, and continued economic development in South Texas.
