Garza: San Antonio is going help us get an interstate out of the Valley

Rio Grande Guardian
BY STEVE TAYLOR AND DAYNA REYES 
NOVEMBER 13, 2023

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza says he has a commitment from San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg to help the RGV get I-69 Central and I-69 East connected to I-37.

This would finally allow the fast growing Valley to have an interstate connection to the rest of the United States. 

Garza spoke about the unity that is developing between Nirenberg and a group of Valley mayors to Roxanne Lerma, director of communications and media for the City of Edinburg. 

Lerma joined the mayor and Raudel Garza (no relation), executive director of Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, in San Antonio for a recent meeting of the South Texas Alliance of Mayors.

“Coming together, South Texas is a powerful force. From the very beginning, one of the things that I talked to Mayor Nirenberg about is… for a long time we were disconnected, the Rio Grande Valley area from the rest of the world,” Mayor Garza told Lerma, for a City of Edinburg video story.

“We have an interstate system that is designated just for the Valley that runs through Edinburg. So, we’re fortunate to be along the interstate. But then it ends north of Edinburg. And so this year this Alliance, we signed a compact, as an example. 

“So now, we go advocate to TxDOT and the U.S. Department of Transportation and other leaders about investing in completing the interstate highway system. Now we’ll have San Antonio, join our efforts.”

Mayor Garza also told Lerma: “We’re so connected. Our culture, our people from the business community, there are businesses that are in Edinburg that are (also) in San Antonio, Corpus, Laredo. But I think the goal here is that we come together so we can advocate for our region for funding, for business opportunities, for economic development for our region, and to learn from one another.”

Mayor Garza posted a message on social media to say the meeting went well.

“Great meeting today in San Antonio of the Alliance of South Texas cities. It was historic to see the following mayors come together today: San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Harlingen and Brownsville. Very honored to represent Edinburg on this Alliance that has come together to address the diverse issues and opportunities that our communities face. Working together as one South Texas region will help build a better future for all. Many thanks to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg for hosting us today and sharing all his community is doing to improve the quality of life in San Antonio.”

A City of Edinburg press release said the San Antonio meeting focused on addressing common issues faced by cities in the region and fostering collaboration to tackle these challenges.

“The event was a platform for discussing economic development, workforce training, housing affordability, and environmental projects, which are critical concerns for South Texas cities due to rapid population and economic growth,” the press release stated.

“The collaborative spirit and camaraderie displayed during the event were inspiring, and it emphasized the potential for ongoing collaboration to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for our communities.”

A compact was signed by members of the Alliance of South Texas Mayors in Harlingen in May of this year. The mayors or their stand-ins signing the document represented the cities of San Antonio, Edinburg, Harlingen, Weslaco, Mission, and McAllen. 

The group has previously met in Weslaco, Harlingen and Mission but this was their first meeting in San Antonio. The cities Laredo and Corpus Christi joined the alliance at the San Antonio meeting. 

“South Texas cities share many issues, including rapid population and economic growth. It’s time to grow together,” Nirenberg wrote, in a post on social media.

“We were thrilled to host the Alliance of South Texas Mayors in San Antonio and share best practices for affordable housing and economic and workforce development. Thank you to Brooks, Towne Twin Village, and Tech Port SA for being incredible hosts.”

Nirenberg and Mayor Garza co-wrote an op-ed for the San Antonio Express-News ahead of the meeting. It was titled “Nirenberg: South Texas mayors united to serve the region.” However, it cannot be included in this news story because it was penned exclusively for the newspaper and parked behind a paywall. Businessman and philanthropist Louis Escareño said of the op-ed: “Bravo Mayor Ron Nirenberg.”

Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda was at the meeting in San Antonio. She said: “In June of this year mayors from across South Texas gathered in Harlingen to formally establish the South Texas Alliance of Mayors and sign a compact pledging to work together to empower our communities. Today we convened in San Antonio to discuss workforce and economic development,  affordable housing and participated in a roundtable with the Department of Homeland Security.”

Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., was at the meeting in San Antonio. He said: “The South Texas Alliance provides a forum for member cities to share information and ideas to tackle challenges and take advantage of opportunities. During our visit to San Antonio this week, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and his team spent a full day with the STA mayors and shared their strategies on workforce development, affordable housing, economic development, and homelessness. We also met with senior officials from the Department of Homeland Security to discuss our regional perspective on the immigration challenges we currently face. It was an impactful day that will benefit our cities.”

South Texas Business Partnership (SoTX) President & CEO Rebecca Viagran was also at the San Antonio meeting. She said she was honored to spend the day with the mayors of San Antonio, Edinburg, Brownsville, Harlingen, Laredo, McAllen, and Mission. Viagran said they were able to visit with some SoTX members, hear about workforce alignment and discuss how they can work together to identify gaps and opportunities for coordinated advocacy.

“SoTX is shaping the future of South Texas. We understand the unique challenges we face and the importance of collaboration. We are building a formidable alliance of diverse communities and industries within the region to ensure a bright future for generations to come,” Viagran said.

Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño, told the Laredo Morning Times ahead of the San Antonio meeting: “I had a conversation with Mayor Nirenberg, whom I sit with on the Texas Big City Mayors coalition, signaling Laredo’s interest in being part of the alliance. The discussion itself had an impact (on including Laredo), but more importantly I believe that Laredo, as the largest port of entry in the U.S., can provide some valuable perspective.”

Treviño told his hometown newspaper that he is a firm believer in alliances and also believes that the region is stronger together than apart.