EDINBURG — Council members here will ask voters in November to consider raising taxes for the first time in over two decades to help pay for basic infrastructure needs.

The Edinburg council voted last week to order a special election calling for a $30 million bond. If passed, city leaders expect to allocate $10 million toward roadway and traffic improvements and $20 million for drainage needs.

That amount, however, would not cover the much-needed improvements, Edinburg City Manager Pilar Rodriguez told the council. His staff identified about $175 million worth of needed upgrades, but said the city is in no position to borrow that kind of lump sum.

“ Some of the reasons that we can’t afford that, is that we currently have a lot of debt issued,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of it is pledged with our property tax, some of it through the economic development corporation … but the bottom line is, we don’t have the ability right now to issue any more debt or borrow any more money without raising the taxes.”

If voters pass the referendum in November, the city will increase its tax rate by nearly five cents, taking it from 63.5 cents per $100 valuation — a rate it’s been set at for the past 23 years — to almost 68.5 cents. For the average homeowner, a five-cent increase would amount to an additional $62 a year in taxes, the city manager estimated.

“We’re maxed out on our credit,” Rodriguez said.

Over the past decade, the city of Edinburg has issued about $62.5 million worth of debt for the construction of several facilities, including parks, a new fire station, a police training facility, a wellness center and the new Bert Ogden Arena among others.

Of that $62.5 million, we still owe about $49 million,” the new city manager said.

Last year, the debt service fund, or the money the city uses to pay down its yearly debt, amounted to about $3.2 million. This coming fiscal year, the city expects to pay almost $4 million to pay off its creditors.

The current council blames former elected leaders for the financial situation the city is in, saying they used creative financing to push through several projects without regard for the city’s future financial health.

“The creative financing that was done was to get the deal done — get the short-term goal taken care of — but it didn’t take into account the long-term effect it was going to have on our city, on our budget,” Councilman Gilbert Enriquez said. “The public needs to understand that creative financing is going to help the short term to get your goal accomplished … but basically you leveraged the future of our city and the taxpayer for (as) many years as that debt service.”

Enriquez also said former leaders did not properly invest in the growth of the capital improvement plan, which is a pot of money set aside to expand and maintain infrastructure needs.

“If you had a good council that had their agenda in the right pace, their priorities in the right place, that capital improvement plan would have been grown so we could have money in that fund to do our major drainage, our major roadways as we go,” Enriquez said. “I’m holding the elected officials, past elected officials, accountable for the position that we’re in — not the staff, not the city manager, no one like that — because basically the council is the one that decides how to budget and where that money goes.”

Rodriguez said he was working with the finance director to lower the city’s operating budget from about $55 million to $54 million in order to continue addressing such needs.

“Infrastructure has a life cycle,” he said. “Most of it is pretty long, but you have to plan for it because eventually you will get there.”

Councilman David Torres lamented having to ask voters to approve a bond issuance, but felt it was necessary for the city, which is prone to flooding.

“We’re in a real tough situation — stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “Nobody likes to increase taxes, but … I don’t want to be in a situation three years from now where we didn’t even try anything. If the people vote it down, so be it, but we have to try to make improvements to the city, and unfortunately we’re having to face the music.”

Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina pointed out that the council doesn’t have to ask voters for their approval to issue a $30 million bond. But unlike Hidalgo County commissioners, who did not ask voters to approve a $150 million courthouse, Molina wanted to put the decision in the hands of the voters.

“We’re choosing not to do it that way,” he said about the county’s approach to debt. “We’re choosing to go to the voters.”

Edinburg residents are also facing another potential tax rate increase from the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1, which will ask voters in November to approve a $190 million bond for improvements to its system. If passed, the bond would increase the district’s 9.5 cent tax rate by three cents.

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McALLEN — Veterans from American Legion Post 37 need assistance in rehabilitating a model 1905 field gun that has been with the legion for more than half a century.

The field gun is displayed the American Legion Loyal Service Post 37 entrance, located at 1305 E. Jasmine St.

The weapon has been in the post’s hands since before its recent location change. It was donated by the Horace Hilton family in 1969 at post’s original location, near the Boggus Ford Auto Group off of Expressway 83/Interstate 2.

Cliff Mahathey, American Legion Post 37 committee co-chair, said the purpose of restoring the gun is to keep alive the memory of the brave soldiers who have served for their country.

“It’s gone through many restorations from the standpoint of knocking the rust off and putting the paint back on it,” Mahathey said.

The artillery, which was once active years ago, has slightly been worn down over the years.

“We think it probably came down here with Gen. John J. Pershing when he was tasked to go after Pancho Villa during the Mexican Expedition and around that era,” Mahathey said.

The gun was cast in 1916, but according to historical records it was in this area only for the expedition.

“We think it’s a survivor of that period of the American Expeditionary Force,” he said.

The restoration location is called Historical Ordnance Works and is based in Georgia, where the company restores different types of artillery.

“Our mission is not only to restore the gun visually, but actually to have it ceremonially fire that will be done with blank charges. It would be really nice to fire the gun before March 16, 2019, which is the 100th anniversary of American Legion,” the committee co-chair said. “In addition to the firing, we also want to get the caisson that went with that gun.”

“The gun couldn’t go into battle without its supplies, all the shells and maintenance equipment that went along with it and all that equipment was in a case called the caisson and it never went anywhere in battle without it,” he explained.

The full restoration amount is $25,000; with $12,000 set aside for the field gun and another $12 thousand for the caisson. The legion has raised approximately $7,000 so far.

“It’s not just to resurrect it to look pretty in front of the legion, we want this rolling down the street,” Mahathey said. “We want this to get back on its wheels and make it go boom.”

The process should take approximately four months to restore and they’re hoping to send it off to the company by November.

American Legion Post 37, with almost 500 participants, is a 501(c)(3) and the donation is tax-deductible.

“This is one of the few American Legions that isn’t a member’s only legion,” he said. “If people want to come down and see the gun, they can do that and we welcome the kids to come down and take a look at this old gun because they’re probably never seen one like it in-person.”

For more information on how to donate visit Post 37’s GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/Post-37-Field-Gun-Restoration.

Construction began Tuesday at the site where Alamo’s first standalone emergency room will open this year.

The emergency room, a part of South Texas Health System, which already operates three standalone emergency centers in Hidalgo County, will likely open in fall 2018.

The center to be located at 140 E. Frontage Road in Alamo will be open 24 hours a day year-round, and be supplied with identical diagnostic technology used in the hospital’s emergency rooms.

“ South Texas Health System is striving to bring medical care, and more importantly emergency medical services even closer to residents because every second counts when it comes to saving a life,” Marcy Martinez, a spokeswoman with South Texas Health System, said.

The $10 million emergency room in Alamo will include nine rooms for treatment as well as a pediatric room and triage area.

Mayor Diana Martinez, Alamo Economic Development Corporation members, City Manager Luciano Ozuña Jr. and other local leaders joined South Texas Health System representatives for the groundbreaking held Tuesday morning.

South Texas Health System opened freestanding emergency rooms in Weslaco, Mission and Edinburg and is constructing additional centers in McAllen and another in Edinburg on McColl Road.

South Texas Health System operates Edinburg Regional Medical Center, McAllen Medical Center, Edinburg Children’s Hospital, McAllen Heart Hospital and a handful of other medical facilities in Hidalgo County.

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, was one of eight legislators inducted into the New Democrat Coalition, a group of 68 Democrats focused on advancing pro-business and financially responsible policies, according to a news release from his office.

“Now more than ever, it is important that we put politics aside and approach challenges together,” Gonzalez said in the prepared statement. “I am proud to join the New Democrat Coalition — a group that values good governance and welcomes new ideas. I look forward to working with my fellow New Democrats to build consensus and tackle the very issues Americans care about.”

Gonzalez joins seven other members of the U.S. House of Representatives as the newest members of the coalition: Reps. Brenda L. Lawrence of Michigan, Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Al Lawson Jr. of Florida, Donald A. McEachin of Virginia, Raul Ruiz of California, Thomas R. Suozzi of New York and Marc A. Veasey, also of Texas.

New Democrat Coalition Chair Jim Hines welcomed the new inductees, calling them “solution-oriented members.”

“They will help the coalition continue to move beyond the partisan divide in Washington to advance innovative, pro-growth policies that will help all Americans and keep our nation secure,” Hines said.

McALLEN — A Monte Alto man faces up to five years in prison if found guilty of a federal gun charge as his trial is set to begin Tuesday, court records show.

Jose Joel Elizondo Jr., 39, faces a federal jury beginning Tuesday for his alleged role in a straw purchase of a gun that was later used in a carjacking, according to the indictment against him.

Elizondo was arrested last July after federal prosecutors alleged he had purchased a semi-automatic handgun that was later used by Jorge Luis Almanza-Barceñas in at least one carjacking in April of last year.

Almanza-Barceñas, 30, a Mexican national without legal status in the country, was arrested in early May of last year in connection with two alleged carjacking incidents.

During one of those carjackings, Almanza-Barceñas used the gun Elizondo is alleged to have illegally purchased from a San Juan pawn shop a year and three days before the carjacking, according to the indictment filed against the two men.

Federal prosecutors allege that on April 9, 2016 Elizondo violated federal gun laws when he visited the Cash America Pawn in San Juan and purchased a Beretta, Model PX4 Storm, 9mm caliber pistol — claiming on the federal gun form that the gun was for him but in actuality was for Almanza-Barceñas, the indictment reads.

“(Elizondo) falsely represented on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Form 4473, that defendant (Elizondo) was the actual buyer of the firearm described above, when in truth and fact the defendants knew that those statements and representations were false and that defendant (Elizondo) was not the actual buyer of the firearm,” the record states.

Prosecutors allege that days after Elizondo purchased the handgun from the pawn shop, Almanza-Barceñas used it to steal a sports utility vehicle in an unknown location in Hidalgo County, the complaint filed against Almanza-Barceńas states.

According to the complaint, Almanza-Barceñas took the SUV, a 2016 Toyota RAV4, on April 12, 2017 by “force and violence and intimidation,” and “with intent to cause death and serious bodily harm.”

It was further noted in the complaint that the SUV had been “transported, shipped and received in interstate commerce and foreign commerce from the person and presence of Y.C.”

Almanza-Barceñas was also implicated in a carjacking on March 27, 2017, court records show.

Last September, Almanza-Barceñas pleaded guilty to all the counts against him — reentry by deported alien; penalty for firearms; motor vehicle theft-carjacking; violent crimes; and unlawful transport of firearms, according to court records.

As part of the plea agreement, Almanza-Barceñas must pay back full restitution, which will be determined at a later date, to the victims of the carjackings, the record states.

“Defendant understands and agrees that the court will determine the amount of restitution to fully compensate the victims, that restitution imposed will be due and payable immediately, and that defendant will not attempt to avoid or delay payment,” the record states.

Almanza-Barceñas is scheduled to be sentenced April 19 and faces up to 15 years in prison, court notes show.

According to court records, federal prosecutors are expected to enter several pieces of evidence during Elizondo’s trial; including the aforementioned firearm, the form that Elizondo filled out at the pawn shop, and a video record of Elizondo’s alleged confession, to name a few.

This story was updated to reflect the correct date of the firearm purchase.

EDINBURG — A process long in the making intended to better support undocumented students and other groups at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is expected come to fruition as officials have requested funding to create a new support center.

Recently, the Student Government Association of UTRGV passed a resolution for the creation of what they call a Dream Center where undocumented students can find resources such as counseling and guidance with financial aid opportunities and registration. University officials confirmed this is something that has been in the works for a few years and they are moving forward with its creation, which is planned for the fall of this year if funds are allocated.

“These groups are under a lot of stress given their status and given the rhetoric that our current government uses,” said Senator at Large for UTRGV Edinburg, Denisce Palacios. “It’s important to make sure that they are mentally healthy.”

The association was approached by students who were concerned that while the state allows undocumented students or those who are DACAmented – legally in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program – to receive in-state tuition, there wasn’t a specific person or place they could go for information pertaining to their status.

Some of the main questions heard by student representatives and university officials were how to find job opportunities after graduation, where to find grants or financial aid opportunities while in college, and how to protect their information or status from being divulged.

This is something university officials say has been in the works for the past few years as they began hearing concerns from student activists and others close to the issue. The main issue was having staff well versed on how to address the unique issues that come with not having a legal status in the U.S. or having an unstable status while trying to acquire a degree and a job after graduation.

“We started meeting with students about a year ago,” said Rebecca Gadson, dean of students at UTRGV. “Ideas were presented in terms of what we could do as an institution to break down any barriers and just really help provide support and affirmation for our students in that experience. And I think we try to do that for all of our students in general but we have to also be responsive to the unique circumstances that students are going through.”

Gadson began by requesting funds to be allocated for what they call an Overarching Center in which to offer support for students with many different identities and circumstances. This center would in turn house the Dream Center with staff specifically hired for and trained in the area of how to better guide and support these students.

Kristin Croyle, vice president for student success, said it was over the past year that they heard increased concerns over the need to expand support to this group of students considering many of them felt pressures from the political climate around the country.

The main way in which students asked for this support to be expanded was through the center, she said, and officials began looking into what other universities had to offer. This is when they found out UT-San Antonio was also working on the development of a center catered to undocumented and DACAmented students.

“It’s the same approach that UT-San Antonio is taking, an overarching center that has more of an inclusion focus and within it a Dream Center,” Croyle said. “It would be a mix of concrete factual resources and clear communication of support and belonging too.”

The budget request, which includes hiring one full-time staff member and one graduate student for the center, has already received initial approval and they are expecting to receive final approval on the overall budget by July. If the item receives approval the goal is to have a center in place by the fall.

The university’s SGA are also conducting their own surveys of the general student population asking what resources they would like to see offered in the space. The hope is to compile the results and present it to Croyle and Gadson in about a week, Palacios said, so they can take that feedback into consideration.

In the meantime, Gadson said they are moving forward with the panning process as if this has already been approved. This includes getting feedback from students via additional anonymous surveys, finding a location for the overarching center and identifying adequate training.

“I’m already looking at identifying those spaces,” Gadson said. “It’s about having dedicated personnel who focus on how we can continue to expand and support the whole person.”

As commerce and travelers continue to flow northbound from Mexico at increasing rates, there’s a need for more U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry.

U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, introduced legislation last week increasing CBP’s capacity to screen passengers and facilitate trade at international airports, seaports and land ports of entry, seeking to hire 500 CBP officers and 100 agriculture specialists per year to address staffing shortages.

National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon said CBP needs to hire 3,700 new officers and 721 agriculture specialists. The NTEU, which endorsed the bill, represents more than 25,000 CBP employees.

“A CBP officer and agriculture specialist hiring surge would immediately improve employee safety by reducing excessive overtime shifts; facilitate legitimate travel and trade that is currently slowed by the lack of personnel, and improve their ability to prevent the entry of high-risk travelers and cargo through the ports,” Reardon said.

The volume of commerce entering the country has more than tripled in the past 25 years, which has led to an increased flow of commercial traffic through ports of entry, according to the U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee.

“Both involuntary overtime — resulting in 12 to 16 hour shifts, day after day, for months on end — and involuntary work assignments far from home significantly disrupt CBP officers’ family life, erode morale, and are not a solution for staffing shortages at the ports,” Reardon said.

A Vela aide acknowledged the difficulties in hiring large numbers of CBP employees, but introducing the bill is the first step in the attempt to add more officers.

“CBPOs, stationed at our ports of entry, screen more than 1 million foreign nationals and U.S. citizens and approximately $6.3 billion worth in imported goods at ports of entry annually,” Vela said in a statement. “The economy of the United States as a whole relies on the critical work that CBPOs perform every day, and that is imperative that our front-line personnel have the support, staffing and resources they need for a safe and effective work environment.”

Vela is the ranking member of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee. He introduced this bill alongside U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security.