City of Alamo staff and officials made a trip to Austin last week to meet with state legislators.
According to a news release, Alamo City Manager Bobby Salinas, Assistant City Manager Alexandra Rangel, Commissioner Okie Salinas and Commissioner JR Garza joined a delegation of over 100 Rio Grande Valley local officials for RGV Day at the state capitol.
“Utilizing strength in numbers, the Valley delegation met with state leaders to discuss issues affecting the Rio Grande Valley region, such as broadband expansion in rural communities, infrastructure improvements for streets and highways, and drainage improvements for low lying areas prone to flooding,” the release read. “The group was organized by The RGV Partnership who worked to connect city leaders with their area representatives.”
City officials met with staff and representatives from state Sen. Morgan LaMantia, state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, state Rep. Ryan Guillen, and state Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez to discuss funding opportunities for several projects in the area.
One of the main topics of discussion was improvements to current drainage systems within the city.
The city of Alamo recently received $973,285 in grant funding from the Texas General Land Office for several drainage improvement projects in the area bounded by US Bus 83, Expressway I-2, and Alamo Road, including a 2.5-acre detention pond, installing new inlets, installing 1,400 linear feet of 24-inch pipe, and installing 1500 linear feet of 18-inch pipe.
“Infrastructure was also top of mind for city officials,” the release stated. “As the City of Alamo has grown, so has the need for improvements to several key roadways within the city. Officials discussed funding for improvements and paving to major key thoroughfares within the city.”
RGV Day served as an opportunity for Valley delegates to ensure that a portion of the historic $33 billion budget surplus is directed towards issues affecting the Rio Grande Valley.
Delegates were also honored with a special resolution during Senate proceedings as the Texas Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 196 recognizing February 22, 2023, as Rio Grande Valley Day at the State Capitol.
“With the leadership provided by the entire Alamo Board of Commissioners, along with the help provided by neighboring communities attending the event, City of Alamo officials were able to make a strong case for the continued support of state officials in order to ensure that the City of Alamo continues to be a healthy and growing community,” the release stated.
To find a comprehensive list of bills filed — and the status of those bills — visit MyRGV.com and click the 88th Texas Legislative Session tab, which has an interactive spreadsheet and a comprehensive list of AIM Media Texas’ legislative coverage.
