Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez has declared a state of disaster for the county related to the record-breaking cold weather and freeze, which also mandates that prices of needed goods and services during this time cannot be raised higher than prices marked before Friday.
Cortez signed the order Tuesday and will be in effect for a week.
“We will not tolerate people being taken advantage of during this cold spell,” Cortez said in the county release.
Under the order, some goods that must keep prices as they were on Friday include construction materials, candles, medicine, gasoline and blankets.
Hotels, motels and apartments complexes also cannot price gauge.
Services that have to maintain their original prices include roofing and building contractors, plumbers, mechanics and electricians.
The judge signed the order four days after Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency over Texas.
“The County Judge has determined that extraordinary emergency measures must be taken to protect the public health, safety and general well-being of County citizens, in order to alleviate the suffering of people and to protect or rehabilitate property,” the declaration reads.
