State of the city: Mendez delivers last one as Brownsville mayor

As I transition out of the mayor’s office I’m excited to see what the future holds. For me it’s not a good bye. It’s a see you later.

Delivering his final State of the City address Wednesday at the Brownsville Event Center, Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez said the city is in better shape than ever before and that the past four years in office have been the “honor of my life.”

He discussed a long list of highlights since his last State of the City speech, as well as good news on the horizon for the city. A major improvement has been to the city’s permitting department, with the implementation of Excela Solutions, a digital permitting platform that has cut wait times for residential and commercial permitting, Mendez said.

“Through this we solved a major problem that was holding back our city for decades,” he said.

Another big development was the opening of a third hospital in Brownsville, DHR Health, which recently opened its doors in the renovated former Brownsville Doctors Hospital.

“They’ll be adding hundreds of jobs and have invested tens of millions of dollars in our community,” Mendez said.

The Gladys Porter Zoo, which he called the top tourist attraction in South Texas, last year announced the first master plan in the zoo’s 50-year history, which includes an expanded lion exhibit, covering viewing areas and a new Small World exhibit.

Meanwhile, the Buena Vida Cultural Park inside the Mitte Cultural District is coming together quickly thanks to a multi-million-dollar investment from the Mitte Foundation, Mendez said.

The Cannery Public Market, another multi-million-dollar addition to the cultural district “is almost here” and will serve as the new home of the Brownsville Farmers’ Market and the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, he said.

In October, the ribbon-cutting for the West Rail Trail took place, a project begun over a decade ago that connects West Brownsville to the rest of the city’s hike-and-bike trail system, Mendez said.

Phase two of the Southmost Nature Trail is underway, and the Southmost branch of the Brownsville Public Library has had major renovations and now houses a new mural by local artist Rosa Alejandra Zertuche, Mendez noted.

On the public transit front, B Metro’s addition of Sunday service in 2021 has been a big success, ushering in a “dramatic increase in ridership,” he said.

“And we’ll be considering new routes,” Mendez said. “We’ve constructed or are in the process of constructing 30 new bus shelters.”

The mayor said the city’s animal shelter last month extended its hours, making it possible for residents to adopt a pet after hours or on weekends. The change is already showing results, with a record number of adoptions in March, he said.

On the international front, last August the city signed a sister-city agreement with the Mexican city of Ciudad Victoria, and during Charro Days renewed its sister-city agreement with Matamoros.

Mendez also discussed gains in employee compensation.

“Our law enforcement personnel are important to us, and keeping them healthy and well paid is definitely a priority,” he said. “I’m happy to report that this past year we signed new collective bargaining agreements with both our fire department and our police union, ensuring our safety and their security for the foreseeable future.”

A milestone for the city occurred in September with approval of a Fair Practices ordinance — the first in the Valley — prohibiting discrimination of any member of the community seeking housing, employment or public accommodations, Mendez said. He called it a “very positive and very necessary protections for our residents and credited the members of the city’s LGBTQ+ Task Force for making it a reality.

As announced earlier this month, on May 17 discount air carrier Avelo will begin offering service to Orlando and L.A. aboard new 737s, Mendez said.

This summer and next summer, Brownsville will host the Texas Amateur Athletic Foundation’s Games of Texas, expected to bring thousands of athletes and their families to the city and have a “huge economic impact,” he said.

Mendez likewise relayed good news from the Port of Brownsville, which had another record-breaking year in 2022 handling 13.8 million tons of cargo for the year.

“It’s now moving more steel into Mexico than any other domestic competitor, approximately 4.6 million tons in 2022, with volume expected to increase to 5.5 million tons by this year,” he said.

Mendez said he’s especially proud of the city’s BTX Fiber initiative, the formal groundbreaking for which was held in October and a project close to his heart.

“Just over three years ago we were considered one of the least connected communities in the country,” he said. “And now, with the help of $20 million in federal funds as well as private investment of $70 million, Brownsville is on its way to ending the digital divide, and we’ll have some of the best connectivity in the entire country.”

The public-private partnership with Lit Communities will mean a big boost for the city in terms of economic development and competitiveness, telehealth and education, Mendez said.

“My biggest project, for me, I feel was broadband,” he said.

Mendez, who was elected in 2019 but chose not to seek a second term, said being able to implement the vision he and incoming commissioners had four year ago “has truly been an unforgettable experience for me.” For all these accomplishments and more he credited the commission, city leadership and “everybody in this room who believes in the city.”

While he’s not necessarily excited about no longer being mayor, Mendez is looking forward to passing the baton and returning to life as a private citizen, he said.

“As I transition out of the mayor’s office I’m excited to see what the future holds,” Mendez said. “For me it’s not a good bye. It’s a see you later.”