Hidalgo County Commissioners Court, Tax Rate, Courthouse Crash, Alopecia Awareness, Sheriff’s Office
Arnoldo Mata
Edinburg TX - The Hidalgo County Commissioners Court met Tuesday, Sept. 1, voting unanimously to adopt a lower proposed tax rate for 2026, hearing public comments on law enforcement salaries and county leadership pay, and receiving an update on repairs to the county courthouse following a vehicle crash.
Tax Rate
The court voted to adopt a proposed 2026 tax rate of 0.5691, down from last year’s rate of 0.575, effectively decreasing the county’s tax rate by more than half a cent. County Auditor’s Office staff member Mr. Soto told the court the proposed rate matches the calculated no-new-revenue rate, meaning the county would not collect additional tax revenue compared to the prior year on existing property, aside from revenue generated by new construction.
Soto said the gap between the proposed rate and the no-new-revenue rate is the smallest in at least 20 to 25 years. He said adopting a rate at or below the no-new-revenue rate does not require a public hearing under state law. County Judge Richard Cortez confirmed the decision would result in the county forgoing approximately $3.3 million to $3.5 million in additional revenue it could otherwise have collected. “So we would give that back to the taxpayers,” Cortez said. “Correct,” Soto responded.
The proposed budget will be submitted for public inspection Sept. 16. The court will hold a regularly scheduled meeting Sept. 22 to formally adopt the budget and tax rate.
Public Comments on Pay
Jesse Campos, president of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Association, asked the court to consider a pay raise for sheriff’s deputies, saying current starting pay of $55,578 lags behind salaries in Edinburg ($70,800), McAllen ($65,336), Mission ($61,959) and Pharr ($57,041). “A competitive salary is not a luxury. It is an investment in public safety,” Campos said. “When our salaries fall behind... we lose experienced deputies. It makes it hard to recruit and retain the best people if we’re not willing to compensate our deputies accordingly.”
Resident Fern McClarty criticized a proposed 16.6% pay increase for the four county commissioners and a 15% increase for the county judge, along with a 12% increase for other elected officials, compared to a proposed 5% cost-of-living increase for the county’s approximately 5,000 general employees. McClarty noted the county’s property tax levy is proposed to increase 9.78%, according to her calculations, which she said outpaces the proposed employee raise. “I cannot believe that y’all are looking at a 16.6% [raise] and the salaries y’all are making now,” McClarty said, adding that sheriff’s deputies “are the ones protecting us” and asking why they were not included in a larger raise.
Courthouse Update
County officials provided an update on the Hidalgo County Courthouse following a vehicle crash into the building’s main entrance earlier in the week. An official said structural engineers inspected the area of impact and surrounding areas, and that the county was working with the City of Edinburg to gain code-compliance sign-off on an alternate entrance route before reopening. “We are still pending the City of Edinburg to sign off on the alternate route for code compliance,” the official said, adding the courthouse might not reopen as scheduled without that approval.
The official emphasized that the crash was not the result of any lapse in county safety protocols. “This was not the fault of Hidalgo County not having protocols in place that could have potentially averted the situation,” the official said, adding the county had exceeded code and statutory requirements. Judge Cortez noted the vehicle “missed the flag pole by inches and the column in the courthouse by inches.” Officials recognized several county staff and judiciary members, including the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, facilities management staff, the fire marshal, IT staff, and members of the judiciary who assisted overnight following the crash.
Proclamations
The court proclaimed September 2026 as National Alopecia Areata Awareness Month. Jamie Torres Arellano, whose daughter has alopecia, thanked the court for the recognition. “Awareness creates understanding and understanding builds compassion,” Torres Arellano said. “A proclamation like this may be words on a paper, but to families like ours, those words carry strength, encouragement, acceptance, and hope.” Precinct 4 Commissioner Ellie Torres announced a “Walk of Confidence” awareness walk scheduled for Sept. 19 at Municipal Park.
The court also proclaimed September 2026 as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Sept. 14-20, 2026, as Nephrology Nurses Week. John Thompson, representing the American Nephrology Nurses Association, noted nearly one in five Hidalgo County adults are affected by diabetes, a leading cause of kidney failure.
The court recognized 2026 Texas Boys State delegates from the Rio Grande Valley, including students from Weslaco, McAllen, Donna and South Texas ISD Academy high schools, who attended the American Legion’s leadership conference at the University of Texas at Austin in June.
Grants and Contracts
The court approved several grant items for the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, including a $44,701 Edward Byrne Memorial JAG grant, a $1,052,143 Auto Theft Task Force grant with participating agencies including the Edinburg, Mercedes, Weslaco and Palmview police departments, and a $192,625 Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention grant.
The court approved a healthcare funding district assessment rate of 6% on net patient revenue for area hospitals for fiscal year 2027, consistent with the prior year’s rate, following a public hearing in which no members of the public spoke in opposition. Precinct 1 Commissioner David Fuentes abstained from discussion and action on items related to the local provider participation fund.
The court approved various Head Start program items, including program distribution for the 2026-2027 school year covering 25 campuses and 2,720 children, and approval of a new chief financial officer for the program.
The court approved numerous subdivision plat and variance requests presented by the county’s planning department, several purchasing and personnel items, and land acquisition items related to the Mile 10 North Road and Mile 6 West Road improvement projects. Fuentes abstained from several items throughout the meeting related to specific precinct or personal matters.
The court also approved an audit report for Hidalgo County Emergency Services District No. 5 for the year ending Dec. 31, 2025, and a $339.36 settlement with State Farm Insurance related to a county vehicle accident.
Closed Session
The court met in closed session to discuss real estate acquisition, pending litigation, and personnel matters. Upon returning to open session, the court assigned a pending lawsuit, Bernardo Rafael Munoz Gaspar, et al. v. Hidalgo County, et al., to the district attorney’s civil division, and authorized a $200 settlement offer in a separate claim.
The court scheduled its next meetings for Sept. 15 and Sept. 22.
Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1
Earlier Tuesday, the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 Board of Directors, comprised of the county judge and four commissioners, held its regular meeting.
Precinct 1 Commissioner David Fuentes was recognized for the recent passing of his mother, described as a former librarian for the City of Alamo.
The board received an update on the Rangerville Drain project, with staff announcing the project’s feasibility report and environmental assessment received approval from the Assistant Secretary of the Army’s office and has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget. Staff said the district is now pursuing a “Finding of No Significant Impact” that would allow the project to move toward inclusion in the presidential budget for federal funding, with a placeholder already included in the fiscal year 2026 federal Water Resources Development Act.
The board approved a resolution authorizing the acquisition of easements, rights-of-way or fee title through condemnation, if necessary, for the City of Progreso drainage outfall GLO project.
The board approved authorization to advertise for bids on storm drain reinforced concrete pipe and sand embedding material for district projects, along with several construction payment applications, work authorizations and change orders related to ongoing drainage projects, including a $75,875.90 change order adding additional construction days to the PD Lateral Extension 5 project under the 2023 bond program.
Commissioner Fuentes abstained from discussion and action on several items throughout the meeting related to specific bond projects and easement acquisitions.
The board approved payment of $2,500 each to special commissioners appointed in a condemnation proceeding related to a bond program parcel.
The board met in closed session to discuss legal and property matters before adjourning, with members wishing Commissioner Eduardo “Eddie” Cantu a happy birthday.