Mayor Ramsey English Cantu will seek re-election in 2013
By: Jose G. Landa
Eagle Pass Business Journal©
Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu has officially announced that he will be seeking re-election in May 2013 for a second term as Mayor. Mayor Cantu was first elected Mayor on May 13, 2010, becoming the youngest person to be elected Mayor of Eagle Pass at the age of 26 years old.
Mayor Cantu is a 2002 graduate of Eagle Pass High School- CC. Winn Campus. He obtained his Associate of Arts degree in Education from Southwest Texas Junior College in 2004 and attends Sul Ross State University-Rio Grande College majoring in Political Science.
Mayor Cantu has been at the helm of Eagle Pass focusing in strengthening the resolve of the community by assuring the lines of communication between our city and governmental entities all across Texas as well as our neighbor to the south, Mexico.
Mayor Cantu currently serves as Chairman of the Texas Border Coalition with a great focus and commitment to better serve and improve the quality of life for all Texas-Mexico Border residents. He also serves as a Commission member of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Border 2012 Initiative which protects border air, water and land quality for all residents. Mayor Cantu also serves on the Board of Directors of the Middle Rio Grande Development Council representing the nine county board at a state level. He is also President of the prestigious statewide Texas Association of Regional Councils.
Recognizing that a strong community requires leadership Mayor Cantu publicly serves his constituents in many different community volunteer projects such as the Teleton Navideño for over 17 years and since 2003 has served as President of this non–profit organization.
Mayor Cantu was appointed by the American Cancer Society Governmental Affairs Division to serve as an Ambassador for our Congressional district to join other congressional leaders and lobbyists in Washington, D.C. at the 2006 “Celebration on the Hill” to lobby and obtain additional funding in the race to find a cure for cancer. In addition, he is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Community Action Social Services & Education (CASSE), a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide assistance to citizens of Eagle Pass who are undergoing financial hardships.
Mayor Cantu also served as a Board Member for the Camino Real Mental Health, Mental Retardation Center (MHMR) from 2006 to 2010. He also promotes literacy awareness to our public library as a Library Foundation Trustee by raising funds and using funds raised to promote literacy and provide our citizens and young children with adequate research and educational resources. He also serves as a Board Member of the City of Eagle Pass Arts Council, where he promotes culture and awareness to our city. He also volunteers his time promoting literacy with the Eagle Pass Independent School District and serving as a mentor to students.
Mayor Cantu’s progressive and visionary leadership earned him the Public Representative of the Year Award at the 2011 Eagle Pass Business Journal Awards.
Mayor Cantu is the son of Raul “Pecas” Cantu and Byrdie English Cantu of Eagle Pass, a pioneer family with strong roots and history in our community.
“My family roots and history go back four generations in this City and I feel blessed to have been raised in Eagle Pass. I was brought up with strong morals and values and I am now using those morals and values instilled upon me to better serve and promote our great City. I will work hard to make city government accessible to residents and help them take advantage of the various programs and projects the city has to offer. “I want residents to access City Hall and its resources. After all, these services are here for them,” Cantu said.
Mayor Cantu wants to maintain and enhance revitalization efforts in this city as it has been established with his efforts alongside the Main Street program to focus in on revitalizing the Eagle Pass downtown area, as well as focus on programs for youth and senior citizens. More importantly, he plans to continue meeting with residents to find out about their concerns and issues. By personally meeting with residents, he says, he will be able to determine which issues and projects will take priority.
“I am honored and humbled to represent this great city of Eagle Pass and I want residents to know that I am accessible to them. I want to meet with them and work on the issues of our City’s neighborhoods as a team,” Cantu said.
