McAllen, City Commission, Tax Rate, Games of Texas, Maddie Alonso, Rezoning, Sidewalk Variance
Arnoldo Mata
McAllen TX - The McAllen City Commission voted Aug. 24 to maintain the city’s current tax rate for the coming fiscal year, recognized local athletes for their performance at the Games of Texas, and tabled a sidewalk variance request for a family subdivision near South 8th Street.
Tax Rate
The commission approved a proposed 2026 tax rate of $0.448989 per $100 valuation, unchanged from the current year. Because the rate exceeds the no-new-revenue rate of $0.444778, state law requires the city to publish a notice describing it as a “public hearing on tax increase,” even though the rate itself is not increasing.
Becky Grimes, with the city’s finance office, said a record vote was needed to proceed with the required notice and set a public hearing for Sept. 28, 2026, at 5 p.m., with adoption of the tax rate expected to follow at that same meeting. “I do want to emphasize it must read a notice of public hearing on tax increase, but we are not increasing the tax rate,” Grimes said.
City staff noted that anticipated growth in the tax base of about 2% was reduced to an effective levy increase of about 0.06% due to exemptions and valuation changes this year. Assistant City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez said the recommended rate reflects a “maintenance of the tax rate from last budget year.”
Mayor Javier Villalobos thanked city staff and the commission for their work through the budget process. “Initially, we were looking at possibly an increase, and thanks to the hard work of staff and, of course, the commission, we’re going to keep it the same,” Villalobos said. “That doesn’t mean that maybe next year or in a couple of years we may have to do the inevitable. But today, I’m glad to tell the residents of McAllen that we’re going to stay the same.”
The commission approved the record vote unanimously.
Games of Texas Recognition
The commission recognized more than 670 Texas Amateur Athletic Federation summer athletes who represented Team McAllen in golf, track, swimming and tennis at the Games of Texas State meet, held July 30 through Aug. 2 in College Station. The athletes earned a total of 18 medals, with 14 additional athletes finishing in the top eight.
The commission also honored Maddie Alonso, a 9-year-old fourth grader at Gonzalez Elementary, who competed at the 2026 National State Games in State College, Pennsylvania, winning three gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal. Alonso was named the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Region Two Female Athlete of the Year among more than 3,500 athletes in the region.
Rezonings
The commission approved five customer-initiated rezonings, three conditional use permits, and a city-initiated rezoning affecting 602 parcels, following recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission. No members of the public spoke against any of the items. The rezonings included property along South McColl Road, North 8th Street, East Wichita Avenue, North 10th Street and Tres Lagos Boulevard. The conditional use permits included two bar/restaurant permits and one for a church.
Uncollectible Tax Accounts
The commission approved removing certain delinquent tax accounts from the city’s tax roll, citing cases where the cost of legal action would exceed the amount owed. “Say an account owes $50. The cost of a suit well outweighs that cost alone,” a city finance representative said.
Construction Contract Amendment
The commission approved a $977,987 supplemental agreement for consultant construction management services tied to a construction contract that has significantly exceeded its original timeline. The consultant’s scope covers construction administration, resident project representation and materials testing. The original construction contract called for 415 calendar days; the contractor’s current completion date reflects roughly 1,400 days, according to a project engineer. The additional consultant fees are funded through a federal grant, with 90% federal funds and a 10% local match, and staff said the added cost will be covered by liquidated damages assessed against the contractor.
Commissioners questioned staff about the extended timeline and whether liquidated damages built into the contract were sufficient. The commission recessed into executive session to discuss the matter before returning to open session and approving the item.
Sidewalk Variance Tabled
The commission tabled a sidewalk variance request for a proposed 10-lot family subdivision near Nassau Avenue, South 8th Street and Pine Ridge Avenue. City staff had recommended denial of variances for Nassau Avenue and South 8th Street, but approval of a variance for Pine Ridge Avenue, consistent with a similar variance previously granted to an adjacent subdivision.
Kelly Vella, an engineer with Rio Plex Engineering representing property owner Antonia Pasina, said the subdivision is a family development, with the owner and several prospective buyers already living in or connected to the surrounding neighborhood. Vella said requiring sidewalks on individual lots would create disconnected segments that do not link to a broader sidewalk network, and that the cost would fall on individual homeowners rather than a developer, estimated at about $5,000 for corner lots and about $1,500 for other lots.
Commissioners raised questions about existing sidewalk gaps in the area and asked to review each of the three street segments individually rather than voting on the variance as a whole. The commission voted to table the item for further review.
Executive Session
The commission authorized the city manager and city attorney to proceed as discussed in executive session regarding four items; no additional details were disclosed in open session.
Source - McAllen City Commission Regular Meeting, Aug. 24, 2026