U.S.-Mexico Extend Non-Essential Travel Restrictions Until October 21, Dealing City of Eagle Pass Financial Dilemma
By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
The United States and Mexico have agreed to extend the current non-essential travel restrictions between the two countries for an additional 30 days until October 31, 2020, dealing the City of Eagle Pass, Texas a financial dilemma as it loses between $450,000 to $500,000 a month in revenues from its two international bridges while the restrictions are in place.
Eagle Pass Mayor Luis E. Sifuentes stated in an interview with the Eagle Pass Business Journal on September 16, 2020 that Canada and the United States had extended their non-essential travel restrictions until October 21 and that usually means that Mexico and the United States will follow suit by extending their restrictions at the southern border.
Mayor Sifuentes noted that the City of Eagle Pass suffers between $450,000 to $500,000 per month losses from revenues of its two international bridges each month that the non-essential travel restrictions are kept in place. Sifuentes added that the non-essential travel restrictions between the United States and Mexico have been in place since March 20, 2020, a period of six months. With the extension of the non-essential travel restrictions to October 21, the City of Eagle Pass will lose approximately $3,500,000 in revenues from its two international bridges and possibly more if they are extended beyond October 21.
Sifuentes pointed out that the City Council approved a new fiscal year budget for the City of Eagle Pass on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 without having to raise ad valorem property taxes, but that the City of Eagle Pass had to reduce the budgets of many of its departments, postpone certain planned projects for a year, and not provide a pay raise to employees as a result of the financial impact of the non-essential travel restrictions upon the City’s revenues. Sifuentes thanked all City of Eagle Pass employees, department heads, and administration for working so hard to reduce the City’s fiscal year budget and for understanding an employee pay raise is not feasible at the current moment but the City Council may entertain a future budget amendment if the financial circumstances improve.
In addition to the loss of international bridge revenues, the City of Eagle Pass has also lost significant sales tax revenues and hotel occupancy room tax revenues as a result of the non-essential travel restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic since March of 2020, denting the City’s current and new fiscal year budgets.
Mexico requested the United States that the non-essential travel restrictions be extended for another 30 days until October 21, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which the United States agreed to the extension.
Meanwhile, the City of Eagle Pass will continue to manage its fiscal budget delicately and hope that the non-essential travel restrictions are lifted after October 21, 2020.
