As with every start of every legislative session Cameron County’s wish list is long, especially after weathering a pandemic for most of a year, though the state’s coffers have also taken a hit, which means the pie is smaller.
County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. cited the need for state resources for myriad infrastructure projects, including transportation projects such as the East Loop and a second causeway to South Padre Island, part of a regional project involving construction of a state highway traversing Cameron and Hidalgo counties.
Then there’s the issue of broadband connectivity, an area where the county has a lot of catching up to do.
“The pandemic showed the lack of a technological infrastructure that we’ve got with regards to broadband and Wi-Fi access, which has impacted our children’s ability to receive education under these very difficult times,” Treviño said. “We’ve got to get the money to invest and have connectivity countywide, Valley-wide, statewide.”
Drainage projects, while not exciting, are likewise essential.
“We need additional funding for both small and large drainage projects that we’ve got at the county and city level, plus regional in conjunction with Hidalgo and Willacy and Starr (counties), Treviño said. “That’s a big, big ask.”
Public safety is another vital need, he said. County courtrooms, offices and other facilities must be kept safe while at the same time trying to keep costs down, Treviño said, adding that last week’s deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol by a violent, pro-Trump mob underscores the importance of this.
“Obviously (the state’s) revenues are down because of a decline in oil and gas revenues,” he said. “We know that that’s a concern.”
Nevertheless, county officials will be pulling every string available at the state level to get as much help as possible for local priorities, Treviño said.
“We have to take advantage of every contact we have in order to help push our agenda forward,” he said.
Despite fears earlier in the pandemic, the county was able to balance its budget without having to lay off personnel, he said.
“We looked at ways where we could cut spending for the upcoming budget for the year, and thankfully we were able to maintain the same tax rate as the year before and not make any more personnel layoffs countywide,” Treviño said.
Still, the pandemic has caused a squeeze available funds, in part due to plummeting bridge revenues from cross-border traffic, a steep decline in visitation to county parks and far less revenue generated by the hotel occupancy tax, he said.
“We hope that the state will find additional funding for all the numerous issues that we’ve got to deal with,” Treviño said. “Now we’re dealing with the vaccine. Testing is still critical, resources for our hospitals that are at or beyond capacity. Hopefully there’s no shortage of (personal protective equipment).”
He said it’s time for the state to take a serious look at other ways to generate revenue—legalized gambling, for instance.
“Texas loves to go to Vegas and everywhere else to gamble, so I think that would be one avenue that would be not only a revenue generator but it would be a heck of an economic generator, especially for us here at (South Padre) Island, which I think would be an ideal location for that type of development here in the state,” Treviño said.
He thinks Texas should even consider some degree of legalized, taxable marijuana sales. Oklahoma voters in 2018 voted to approve legalized medical marijuana and as a result saw more than $80 million in state, local and excise taxes raised from January through July 2020, according to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
“If there’s concern in the Legislature on some of these issues, then let the voters decide,” Treviño said.
“This session is probably going to be one of the tougher ones, because we know the state, just like everybody else, is facing a tough budget situation revenue wise,” he said.
