SAN BENITO — Residents can now pay their county taxes at a new drive-thru location in the middle of town.
City and county officials gathered Friday morning at the Cameron County Tax-Assessor Collector’s San Benito Tax Office drive-thru lanes. The new lanes at 199 S. Sam Houston Blvd. will give residents easy access to fast service, said Tony Yzaguirre, Jr., tax assessor-collector.
“They’re going to be able to pay their property taxes, current or delinquent,” Yzaguirre said. “They can renew their license tags, obtain their disabled placards. They can make their partial payments or payment agreements through the window.”
The idea of drive-thru service originated last year during the COVID crisis. Offices closed, but the tax office drive-thru locations in Harlingen, Los Fresnos, Port Isabel and Brownsville assured a good flow of much-needed tax dollars. However, San Benito didn’t have a drive-thru.
That changed Friday morning.
State Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. hailed everyone who helped make the new location a reality.
“This shows how much Cameron County cares for the people of this area and for anyone who comes and pays their taxes here,” Lucio said. “I will be paying my taxes here. I live down the road on Highway 100. I want to thank everyone who made this possible.”
A sizeable crowd had descended on the location to celebrate the event, under a sunny sky with stiff breezes that challenged a drone hovering overhead. Many saluted or placed hands on chests as members of the San Benito Police and Fire departments raised the flag. Only a few wore masks.
“Good morning, everybody,” said Sylvia Garza-Perez, Cameron County Clerk.
“I am glad to see a lot of people in public again,” she said. “Isn’t it a great day in San Benito!”
And so it appeared to be. The new drive-thru lanes promise to be a boon to downtown. The county plans to move offices from the Cameron County Annex Building at 1390 W. Expressway 83 to a large bank building across the street from the drive thru.
That building previously housed the San Benito Bank and Trust, and sometime in the next few months it will house the offices of the county clerk, constable’s office, and the tax office itself.
Yzaguirre recalled opening a location in 2017 on Levy Street in Brownsville.
“Within less than a year the whole area opened up,” he said. “We hope the same thing is going to happen here.”
The lack of a drive thru in San Benito made paying taxes difficult for some, said Adrian Gonzalez, Cameron County Constable Pct. 3.
“They had to park their vehicles,” Gonzalez said. “They had to walk a long way to get inside to pay their taxes, so for our elderly it’s good. Now they can go through the drive-thru.”
He appreciated the economic impact of the new drive-thru and tax office in the middle of town.
“I think having this jewel in the middle of town is going to help,” he said. “It’s going to make everyone else step up their game. So I think it’s wonderful.”
