McAllen, City Commission, Proposed Budget, McAllen Public Library, Golf Course, Sidewalk Variance
Arnoldo Mata
McAllen TX - The McAllen City Commission held its regular meeting Sept. 14, holding a public hearing on the city’s proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget, advancing a construction manager selection for the city’s golf course renovation, and addressing several rezoning and sidewalk variance requests.
Proposed Budget Public Hearing
The commission held a public hearing on the city’s proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget. City Manager Isaac J. Tawil presented budget highlights, recommending the city maintain its current tax rate of 44.89 cents per $100 valuation. Tawil said the proposed combined budget totals $647,224,565, including water and wastewater system appropriations.
Tawil said the budget includes a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for city staff, which carries a $2.4 million impact to the general fund. General fund appropriations total $180 million, leaving an unassigned ending fund balance of $109 million and 235 days of working capital, 95 days above the city’s required minimum. The budget includes debt service of $30.4 million, capital outlay of $258 million, and operations totaling $359 million.
Tawil said the tax rate would generate approximately $1.5 million in new revenue from property added to the tax roll this year, but noted the city would collect about $675,000 less revenue than last year from existing properties, due to required reappraisals of non-homestead properties and new business personal property tax exemptions.
Twelve new full-time positions are included in the budget, including two photojournalists for the Office of Communications, a deputy director for the traffic department, a designer for the engineering department, an accounting supervisor and additional operations staff for Quinta Mazatlán, an operations coordinator for the convention center, and an assistant director of bridge administration at the toll bridge. Tawil said many of the new positions are tied to the upcoming opening of the Center for Urban Ecology.
Top capital projects included in the budget include the city’s brackish groundwater desalination water treatment plant, airport improvements, golf course renovations, the MCC Industrial Park, wastewater projects, an underground trail project at Ware Road, and convention center facility upgrades. Tawil said the city is budgeting more capital projects at more conservative dollar amounts this year, in part to keep projects “shovel-ready” for competing federal and state grant opportunities.
No members of the public spoke during the hearing. The commission is expected to consider formal adoption of the budget and tax rate at a future meeting.
Golf Course Construction Manager Selection
The commission approved moving forward to interview the top three respondents to a request for qualifications for construction manager-at-risk services for the city’s new golf course project: Heritage Links, Greenscapes 6, and Mid America Golf and Landscape. No schedule was discussed regarding the timeline
Proclamations
The commission proclaimed September 2026 as McAllen Public Library Month. Commissioner Michael Fallek read the proclamation, which noted the library offers more than 350,000 items for checkout and provides an estimated annual value of more than $48 million in library use to the community. Library Director Kate Horan and staff, joined by library mascot Marty the Library Cat, thanked the commission and highlighted the library’s new McAllen Kids library card design featuring Marty, unveiled for children signing up for their first library card during September’s Library Card Sign-Up Month.
The commission proclaimed Sept. 17-23, 2026, as Constitution Week. Commissioner Rodolfo “Rudy” Castillo read the proclamation, marking the 239th anniversary of the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. Representatives of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mara Lee Moats and Cheyenne Zink, accepted the proclamation on behalf of the organization.
The commission proclaimed Sept. 25, 2026, as National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. Mayor Pro Tem Pepe Cabeza de Vaca read the proclamation, which recognized four former McAllen police officers killed in the line of duty: Officer Heriberto Garza, 45; Officer Ismael Chavez, 39; Officer Reynaldo Lopez, 47; and Officer Rosalinda Suarez Jr., 23. The proclamation also noted the Rio Grande Valley Family and Friends of Murdered Children has served more than 2,400 families in the region since 2013, and that the organization will host its 14th annual candlelight vigil Sept. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Jose “Pepe” Salinas Memorial Recreation Center in Pharr.
A representative of the organization, identified as Mr. Garcia, spoke about his brother’s murder 15 years ago and read the names of several homicide victims from the region, urging city leaders to attend the upcoming vigil. “The journey of grief is real,” Garcia said. “There are victims. We’re the forgotten victims because we don’t see the victim daily... but everybody has a name for it.”
Public Hearings
The commission approved several routine rezonings and conditional use permits recommended by the Planning & Zoning Commission on Aug. 18, including a rezoning at 2700 South 26½ Street, a rezoning at 3800 State Highway 107, a conditional use permit for an associated recreation use at 10421 North 34th Street, and a conditional use permit for a cigar lounge at 803 North 10th Street. The commission also approved a city-initiated rezoning of 189 parcels, bringing the city’s overall zoning conversion to its new Unified Development Code to 19%.
Consent Agenda
The commission approved its consent agenda without discussion.
Land Surveying Services Contract
The commission approved a negotiated fee schedule for annual land surveying services with a previously approved pool of firms.
Byron Nelson Drainage Project Change Order
The commission approved a change order of $158,121.05 and seven additional calendar days for the 2nd Street at Byron Nelson Avenue drainage improvements project, closing out the city’s 2018 bond program. Staff said cost overruns were tied to pavement reconstruction necessitated by an abandoned gas line and additional waterline adjustments. A commissioner asked about damage to a nearby hike and bike trail caused during construction; staff said cleanup items remain outstanding as part of the project’s punch list before final payment is released.
TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool Election
The commission approved a resolution casting the city’s vote in the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool Board of Trustees election, including a vote for City Manager Isaac Tawil for the Place 3 seat.
Variance Requests
The commission approved a variance request to not extend North 49th Street to Pecan Boulevard for property at 4801 Pecan Blvd., consistent with a staff recommendation for approval.
The commission denied a variance request to eliminate a required north-south quarter-mile collector street for the proposed Star Subdivision at 401 East Dicker Road. City staff had recommended disapproval of the variance, while the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended approval. Commissioners questioned the discrepancy in property ownership among affected tracts before voting to deny the variance, effectively requiring the collector road.
Advisory Board Appointments
The commission approved several advisory board nominations: Commissioner Joaquin “J.J.” Zamora nominated Jonathan Stevens to the Convention Center Advisory Board; Commissioner Tony Aguirre nominated Jose Evan Garcia to the Traffic Commission Board; Commissioner Rolando “Rolly” Rios nominated Alejandra Vallejo to the McAllen Housing Finance Corporation; Commissioner Michael Fallek nominated Juan Mujica to the Building Board of Adjustments and Appeals; and Mayor Pro Tem Pepe Cabeza de Vaca nominated Alex Lamela to the Building Board of Adjustments and Appeals. Staff noted the Convention Center Advisory Board currently lacks sufficient members to hold meetings due to a lack of quorum and requested additional nominations.
Future Agenda Items
Commissioners requested future updates on beautification of the 2nd Street hike and bike trail, a citywide streetlight update, and progress on AEP infrastructure work in the southern part of the city, including work near Mile 3 and Military Highway. A commissioner also requested consideration of rehabilitating degraded sections of asphalt along the Bicentennial Hike and Bike Trail.
Tabled Items
The commission removed from the table and approved a contract with Aerostar Environmental and Construction LLC for $174,400 for airport rescue firefighting trucks, necessary to transition away from a firefighting foam no longer available for purchase in the United States due to carcinogenic concerns.
The commission also removed from the table and addressed a sidewalk variance request for the proposed Pecina Estates Subdivision at 841 E. Pineridge Ave. Engineer Kelly Vela, representing the applicant, was present to answer questions. The commission approved variances eliminating sidewalk requirements along East Nassau Avenue and East Pine Ridge Avenue, consistent with staff recommendations, but denied a variance request to eliminate the sidewalk requirement along South 8th Street, requiring sidewalks to be installed there. One commissioner amended an earlier vote following discussion, resulting in a final 6-1 vote on the Nassau Avenue portion of the request.
Executive Session
The commission authorized the city manager and city attorney to proceed as discussed regarding two executive session items.