Texas Border Business
Edinburg, TX – Hidalgo County Precinct 4 Commissioner Ellie Torres has announced that she will be seeking a second term in office.
“For two and half years, I have had the honor of serving as Hidalgo County Precinct 4 Commissioner, serving the families of Edinburg and northern McAllen,” stated Commissioner Ellie Torres.
“As Commissioner for Precinct 4, I have worked as a tireless advocate for our community. When I started my term in 2019, I would have never imagined what we have experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic. Together with our leaders at the County Health Department, Edinburg CISD and McAllen ISD, and the cities of Edinburg and McAllen, we responded swiftly and decisively throughout the pandemic, providing free COVID test locations for the public, coordinating resources and assistance for our residents, and promoting the vaccination of thousands of individuals. Simultaneously, I have also moved forward with various projects, activities, and operations throughout the Precinct.
“A priority for Precinct 4 and Hidalgo County residents was the need for drainage improvements, especially due to recent excessive rain events impacting our area. Through collaborative efforts with our federal, state, regional, and local agencies, we advocated for much-needed drainage improvement projects in our area. Our joint efforts successfully resulted in an additional $39 million for the area dedicated to drainage expansion, development, and maintenance for our community’s drainage network system.”
Further advocating for progress at the state legislature, Commissioner Torres, along with county and state leaders, worked on House Bill 4663 – the first reclamation water project in the state of Texas. This bill authorizes Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 to create revenue off the sale of reclaimed water based on water rights owned by the Drainage District. The estimated market value of the water rights is $100 million dollars, with future utilization of additional revenue to be used for additional drainage projects.
Commissioner Torres has also been a strong advocate for road improvements in Precinct 4. “At Precinct 4, I have been very strategic with fiscal funds, paving 38 county roads to date. At the end of 2021, I will have completed a total of 50 paved roads; approximately 40 miles of overlay,” Commissioner Torres added. “Through hard work and strategic prioritization, the Precinct has caught up with road projects that date as far back as 2016, and I am not stopping there. I am moving forward with paving more roads, continuing with street repairs and providing lateral road connections to help constituents of the area gain quicker access to their RGV travel destinations. I continue to manage and work on several TXDOT roadway projects and recently broke ground on the North Alamo Realignment Project.
“Furthermore, I am leveraging a $1.2 million grant award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and a grant from Game Time for park enhancements to improve the quality of life for Precinct 4 residents. With the combined efforts and funding of the Precinct, City of McAllen, McAllen ISD, Edinburg CISD and other organizations, the Precinct will move from one completed park to five completed parks by the end of 2022 spanning across Precinct 4. The community parks will provide open spaces for all people to enjoy the great outdoors in a recreational setting and I have made it a priority to ensure inclusion of all children, all age levels, and all abilities.
“I have also been able to expand important services to residents in rural areas and would like to continue the progress. In Precinct 4, there has been an additional three rural communities that now have street lighting to help keep residents safe in their neighborhood and I am currently working with five more potential communities to provide illumination by January 2022.
“In an effort to help keep the Precinct clean and beautiful, I have hosted over 50 community clean ups in the precinct. To further expand waste transfer site access in the Precinct 4 rural areas, I will be opening an additional site in the northern Edinburg area by the end of this year and another transfer site in the San Carlos area by 2022. By providing more access points to dispose waste in a responsible manner, we can help reduce illegal dumping activity.
“Lastly, I have worked together with UTRGV and LRGVDC to provide the first bus stop in an unincorporated area in the county to serve the residents of San Carlos who are in need of transportation. This new Valley Metro bus stop is providing residents with access to healthcare resources located in the northeastern part of the county, centralized County Courthouse and businesses in the area, as well as access to the university. With the continued growth in the county, this project addresses roadway congestion and will enable people to access work and businesses more quickly and easily.
“There is so much that has been accomplished in the last two and a half years and I humbly ask voters to help me keep the momentum going. My public servant mindset and work ethic will continue to work hard to make Hidalgo County Precinct 4 a better place for its residents.”
Commissioner Torres was elected Hidalgo County Precinct 4 Commissioner in 2019. Torres is a former educator and small business owner with public service experience that spans over twenty-five years.
