Eagle Pass and Maverick County Poised to Grow “Like Never Before,” Says Eagle Pass-Maverick County Economic Development Chairman
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2022
The Eagle Pass-Maverick County Economic Development Alliance (EPMCEDA) held a general membership meeting on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, to inform the public governmental and private industry members on the new developments and projects the non-profit organization is working on to attract new economic development to the community.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. welcomed the more than 50 members to the general membership meeting and presented an update on the plans and design to re-align the Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 2, also known as the Camino Real Bridge, on both the Texas and Mexico sides in order to maximize the use of the bridge for export and import commercial traffic.
Mayor Salinas stated plans are to expand the Camino Real Bridge to 12 lanes from its current six lanes to meet the growing and anticipated growth in international trade and commerce between the United States and Mexico. Salinas noted the City of Eagle Pass is currently working with all state and federal authorities both in the United States and Mexico to bring this expansion to fruition in the near future.
Libson added the development of the Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico deep sea port on the Pacific Ocean is rapidly increasing international trade and commerce at all U.S.-Mexico border ports of entry, particularly to Colombia, Nuevo León and Laredo, Texas. Libson noted Mexico is constructing new highways and expanding existing highways from Mazatlan on the Pacific Ocean-side of Mexico to border states with the United States, including the State of Coahuila.
Libson stated Coahuila Governor Miguel Angel Riquelme Solis is expanding state highways to its two border cities of Piedras Negras and Ciudad Acuna to capture the growing international trade stemming from Mazatlan’s deep sea port. The Port of Eagle Pass must expand and ready itself to attract and support this international trade boom, said Libson.
EPMCEDA Executive Director Judith A. Canales introduced and welcomed the keynote speaker at the meeting, Carlton Schwab, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Economic Development Council from Austin, Texas.
Schwab presented the proposal for Eagle Pass and Maverick County to approve an economic sales tax to raise funds to attract top-flight economic development programs to the community. Schwab noted the Texas Legislature in 1989 approved the use of economic sales taxes for funding the recruitment of new industry and jobs to smaller Texas communities.
Schwab noted a study done by The Perryman Group of Waco, Texas found that economic sales taxes across Texas generate up to $7.1 billion in fiscal benefits per year, including $4.9 billion per year to local taxing entities.
A city and county-wide election would be required for local voters to approve an economic development sales tax. If approved by voters, the economic sales tax would allow the creation or retention of primary jobs, including land development, equipment, facilities, improvements and expenditures for manufacturing, industrial, research and development, recycling, warehouses, distribution centers, corporate headquarters, job training facilities, airport and port-related facilities, infrastructure improvements, water supply and sewer projects, and other projects.
Schwab stated “passing an economic development sales tax is not an option. You have to do it. It’s your time.” “Economic development is a decidedly a local endeavor. It’s on the citizens of the community. It is a Texas-way of thing,” said Schwab. “Local control is the way to go,” added Schwab. “Economic development is about bringing dollars to a community and the goal in Eagle Pass is to generate an economic multiplier effect,” Schwab added.
Also presented at the meeting were Committee reports from the Fast Tracking Permitting Committee by Jorge Barrera; the Port of Eagle Pass Committee by Morris Libson, Jr. and Ricardo Gonzalez; the Higher Education Committee by Jorge Barrera; and the Retail and Business Development Committee by Oscar J. De Los Santos and Noe Rodriguez.
EPMCEDA Executive Director Judith A. Canales presented the Executive Director Report, economic data, and held an open discussion on the goals and objectives for the Alliance.
