Beto Salinas, former Mission mayor and longtime public servant, has died

Norbeto “Beto” Salinas, the former mayor of Mission and a longtime public official whose career goes back four decades, has died, according to his son Ricardo Salinas.

In a statement to The Monitor on Friday, Ricardo Salinas said his father “has entered eternal rest” and was a lifelong public servant who “was truly dedicated to the residents of Mission, leaving a legacy or prosperity.”

Beto Salinas began his political career in 1980, when he was elected Hidalgo County commissioner for Precinct 3. He served as Precinct 3 commissioner for 12 years.

He had also been appointed to several state boards and committees, first in 1983 to then-Gov. Mark White’s Indigent Health Care Advisory Task Force, and again in 1991 by then-Gov. Ann Richards to the Texas Funeral Commission and later reappointed to that board by Gov. George W. Bush.

Then in 2001, Gov. Rick Perry appointed him to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Beto Salinas was elected mayor of Mission in 1998 and served as the city’s mayor for the next 20 years.

His election complemented a career in public service that spanned several positions and activities and acknowledgments, including being named Mission’s Man of the Year in 1987 and Mr. Mission, being inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Walk of Fame in 2007 and earning the Citizen of the Year award from the Rotary Club of Mission in 2008.

‘A GREAT LEADER’

Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza took to Facebook to express hers and the city council’s “deepest condolences” to the Salinas family.

“He was a great leader who dedicated his life to serving the community,” a city statement read. “He served as mayor from 1998-2018. His contributions will never be forgotten, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos knew the mayor’s son, Ricardo Salinas, well having attended law school together and on Friday, highlighted Beto’s tough approach to leadership.

“I knew him as soon as I moved down to the Valley, I went to law school with his son Rick, and he was always a very good, community-oriented individual,” Villalobos said of Beto.

“A little headstrong sometimes,” Villalobos added lightheartedly, “but he got business done. This is unfortunate, and we offer our condolences to the family.”

State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa described Beto as an iconic figure in local and state politics who wasn’t afraid to stand up for his constituents.

He also called the former mayor of Mission a public official who was unafraid to fight “the powers that be.”

“Beto Salinas serviced the public and was an icon not only in South Texas but in all the state, he served on numerous statewide commissions and was appointed by different governors,” Hinojosa said in a telephone interview Friday morning, when he was in the state capitol for a special session. “He always focused on the public interest and was not afraid to speak out. He was not afraid to take on the powers that be to fight for the rights of his constituents.”

Beto’s death prompted reactions from officials and local governments throughout the Rio Grande Valley, including Hidalgo County leadership.

In his own statement Friday, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez referred to Beto as a friend.

“Few people have the ability to define a community. Our friend Norbeto “Beto” Salinas was one of that rare breed,” Cortez said in his statement. “Mayor Salinas and the City of Mission helped define one another in great measure because of the legacy of public service that he left. My condolences go out to his family and to the City of Mission on the death of this great public servant.”

Other Western Hidalgo County communities, such as the cities of La Joya and Palmview, also took to social media to share their condolences to the Salinas family, with the former remarking on Beto’s “dedication to his community.”

Members of the judicial community were also moved by the news of his death. Hidalgo County Court-at-Law No. 10 Judge Armando J. Marroquin released a statement on Facebook that referred to Beto as a “compassionate leader who touched countless lives and served his community with unwavering dedication.”

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Beginning in 1998, Salinas served as vice chair of the Anzalduas Bridge Board. He also chaired the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council Board of Directors and the Texas Department of Transportation MPO Policy Committee, where he also once served as secretary.

Beto was the director of the Texas Tech Prep Board of Directors and served on the Hidalgo County chapter of the American Red Cross, as well as president of the Texas Ambulance Association and on the board of the Mission Chamber of Commerce.

Other community service includes his work as a leadership member of the Boy Scouts of America and as president of the Amigos del Valle Board of Directors.

“Beto Salinas has always supported the youth and the elderly and has received numerous awards from the following organizations, appreciation awards from the Hidalgo County Juvenile Court; Sullivan City Headstart Program; Children, and Families & Elderly of the Abram-Perezville Community,” Ricardo said in the statement. “In 2008 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Mission Boys and Girls Club and in 2009 was awarded the Mr. Amigo Award from Amigos del Valle.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the full version.