Texas Border Business –
EDINBURG – For the first time in two decades, the Hidalgo County Drainage District has a new leader at the helm. During a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 9, Drainage District No. 1 Board of Directors, which is comprised of the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court, appointed Raul Sesin, P.E., CFM as General Manager.
Sesin, who has served as the County’s Planning Department Administrator since 2001, replaces Godfrey Garza, just one week before the District’s management contract with Garza’s company, Integ Corp, expires on Feb. 16.
“I am fully committed to this position and ready to get to work,” Sesin said to the Board following his appointment.
A licensed engineer, Sesin has over 21 years of experience in preliminary and final design, construction management, preparation of plans and specifications, estimates, feasibility studies and client relations. He is also a Certified Floodplain Manager. His new post comes with an annual salary of $190,000.
Sesin said his top priority will be to evaluate the District’s operation to ensure accountability and transparency to the taxpayer and the general public.
“Transparency is the key. I want the taxpayers to know where their money is going and how it is being spent,” Sesin said.
In an effort to keep the public informed about the many phases of current and future drainage projects, Sesin said he plans to begin posting maps, cost estimates and timeline breakdowns of past, current and future projects online. He will also update the Drainage Master Plan and plans to assess the status of the Raymondville Drain project, which has been in the works for more than 20 years.
Sesin holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama. Born in Matamoros and raised in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Sesin moved to Mission in 1994 and is the proud father of daughter Zoe Isabella, 18, a sophomore at the University of Texas-Pan American.
