Concert series highlights SOC

CITY MANAGER FRED SANDOVAL & MAYOR RICARDO GUERRA (Courtesy photo/Albert Villegas)

By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS

It’s fitting that the light shone brightest on San Benito’s leadership during a State of the City presentation last week, as they highlighted the city’s rich past and what the future may hold for residents.

Elected officials, led by Mayor Ricardo Guerra and Mayor Pro Tem Pedro A. Galvan, and also City Manager Fred Sandoval, now appear to be under the proverbial microscope, a position they seem comfortable with now that a summer concert series and new city slogan “San Benito: The Soul of South Texas” were introduced.

“The Soul of South Texas speaks so much more to our rich history, and I hope we can continue to live up to what our founding fathers thought that we could live up to,” Galvan said.

The concert series, with an estimated cost of $500,000, to be held at the 130-acre San Benito Fairgrounds, which begins with country music singer Clay Walker on Friday, July 11, is being funded through San Benito’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) sale tax revenue and the city’s hotel motel funds that could be used for business development, Galvan said on social media.

Other musical acts with confirmed dates who will be performing at the San Benito Fairgrounds are as follows: Los Palominos (July 12), Pesado and Aaron Watson (July 18), La Fiebre (July 19), comedian George Lopez (July 26), Midland (Friday, Aug. 1), and Gary Allan (Aug. 9).

Among the other performers with no set dates yet are Buck Crazy, Jaime DeAnda, David Lee Garza y Los Musicales, Ricky Naranjo y Los Gamblers, Mike Gonzalez and The Iconiczz, Louie The Singer, and comedian Steve Singer.

“There are a lot of folks that are real proud of the history of San Benito,” Sandoval said. “We need to continue to embrace it and grow it.”

All attendees inside the San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum, many of whom were stakeholders, were treated to the latest exhibition, which showcases the city’s past in illustrated form and accompanied by commentary.

Between discussing the number of city blocks paved by city work crews so far this year, which stands at 135 to date, and highlighting excellence in financial reporting, attendees were informed that San Benito’s time to grow is now.

“You see this exhibit here, this is it, this is the history of San Benito in one room, and it makes you understand, at least visually, what this town has to offer, what it’s had before, and what it can be in the future,” City Manager Fred Sandoval said. “(San Benito) can be the center of economic development, of growth and prosperity in Cameron County. I’ve seen it in the upper Valley, and I recognize it here.”

Sandoval was Pharr’s city manager for 11 years. Currently, he holds two positions in San Benito, which account for $150,000 annually as city manager and $75,000 as the EDC director. He said it’s still left to be determined if the city commissioners will continue to lower property taxes on homes, which have fallen a penny every year and could dip below 70 cents per $100 evaluation. He mentioned this in advance of budget meetings and hearings this summer, which are open to the public.

A parks and recreation video, voiced by Commissioner Joe E. Navarro, who was unable to attend, mentioned that as part of a master plan, expanded vehicle parking along the resaca hiking trail, night lights at Kennedy Park for volleyball, and a playing surface at Stookey Park for the PONY organization, among other items.

“This is just the beginning of San Benito’s commitment to wellness, recreation, and quality of life for our residents,” Navarro said in the video. “We are proud of how far we’ve come, and excited for what’s next.”

Regarding grants, Commissioner Deborah A. Morales stated that the city has secured $875,000 in grant funds after applying for $1.7 million. In her video, she highlighted the following: Community Development Block Grant initiatives such as relief for families ($342,000), University of Texas health ($60,000), national fitness campaign ($50,000), and matched city funds for health and wellness ($170,000), reading grant to support literacy ($3,000), drug enforcement agency to San Benito Police Department ($21,000), Stone Garden ($146,000), and Lone Star Grant ($20,000).

She also stated that the San Benito Fire Department is actively pursuing $844,000 in grants to upgrade its equipment.

“Grants don’t just provide funding, they represent valuable partnerships,” Morales said. “Grants encourage community involvement, outreach, and collaboration.”

During a question and answer portion of the event between Mayor Guerra and Sandoval, both men said according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) there will be 10-foot wide sidewalks constructed along portions of Williams and Stenger roads, with the latter late this year receiving a complete pavement reconstruction from both Business 77 north to south.

There are TxDOT plans to construct a walking trail tunnel under Business 77 extending to Resaca Village.
An infrastructure video, as told by Mayor Pro Tem Galvan, explains that the city went from annually paving 15-20 roads in the past to the past two years, increasing it to 80-90.

Galvan said an “investment in personnel, equipment, and wages” is the reason.

“This progress reflects a strategic shift and increased investment in our street paving program,” Galvan said. “This progress shows we’re moving in the right direction.”

The public works department has so far fixed 37 manholes and resolved more than 177 sewer backups, Galvan said in the video. He also mentioned that a refurbished vacuum excavator is now being used by city staff to clear storm drains.

The March flooding, which dumped around 20 inches of rain in 10 hours, compelled San Benito staff and leaders to reassess their approach to tackling flooding and collaborate with various drainage districts and San Benito CISD.

“We have to work together because they serve the same residents the city serves, and make good decisions based on maps that show us where all the water was dumped, and where it drained,” Sandoval said. “It’s a work in progress. Nobody expected that much rain, and we’ll be ready next time.”

San Benito has plans to create a three-man drainage department for the short to mid-term, Sandoval said. It’s a model that San Benito is following for the first time that neighboring municipalities had in place for years.