By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition February 2018
Representatives for The Vipers Arena LLC, which is overseeing all aspects of construction of the $88.3 million, city-owned Bert Ogden Arena, on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, made a major presentation on the progress of the complex before the Edinburg City Council, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. RGV Vipers President Bert Garcia said, “Not only does Edinburg serve as the county seat, but now, it is also becoming the sports and entertainment hub of the Rio Grande Valley.”
This month, the Valley is abuzz with talk about the local elections. Former McAllen Mayor and City Commissioner, Richard Cortez is running for Hidalgo County Judge. He says his focus will be infrastructure, roads and drainage, and enhancing educational, employment, and healthcare opportunities for the people of the County.
Dori Contreras, a former accountant who currently holds the position of Justice on the Court of Appeals. She has served as Justice for the last 15 years. She aspires to be the next Chief Justice of the 13th Court of Appeals. She hopes to replace retiring Chief Justice Rogelio Valdez.
Arturo Guajardo has been leading the County Clerk’s Office for the past 19 years, under his leadership and vision the Hidalgo County Clerk’s Office has been transformed in to the most technologically advanced in the nation. Read more about this transformation in this issue.
Joseph Palacios, the current County Commissioner for Precinct 4 is seeking re-election. During a recent town hall meeting in McAllen, he said, “Yes, infrastructure is first and foremost, the need for better roads, better mobility, more comprehensive drainage infrastructure, and quality of life projects.” “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. Read more about the changes he proposes in the pages to follow.
Javier Villalobos, one of the candidates in a run-off election for McAllen City Commissioner for District 1, is confident that he has done the work in his district, so he told Texas Border Business. “I walked the streets of District 1, I’ve heard your concerns, and I will represent you properly as your city commissioner,” Villalobos said. The election will take place on Saturday, March 3, 2018. Read more inside.
The City Leadership celebrated the 109th birthday celebration on the City of Pharr on January 18 at the Boggus Ford Event Center in Pharr. The Commission adopted the new city seal in commemoration of the past successes of the city. They also celebrated the development of the Pharr Family Foundation Home Program with Affordable Homes of South Texas that will grant unused lots to qualifying Pharr residents as a down payment for the construction of a new home. Read more in this issue.
The City of Mission celebrated the Mayor’s International Brunch and the Texas Citrus Fiesta this past month. They entertained guests from many of the members of the Sister City Organization. This year they were visited by representatives from the sister city of Almolonga, Department of Quetzaltenango in Guatemala.
For this and more, I invite you to enjoy this very exciting and interesting issue.
