Eagle Pass Residents Demand Transparency from City Council
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2026
A large contingency of Eagle Pass, Texas residents personally attended the Eagle Pass City Council meeting held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 and spoke during the Citizens Communications agenda concerning the lack of transparency by the City Council regarding certain City-business agenda items.
The City Council agenda of January 6, 2026 included two specific items that were determined by citizens as being extremely vague and overbroad concerning potential City-business matters. Specifically, Agenda Item Numbers 19 and 21 called for “Executive Session pursuant to Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, Section 551.071 and 551.087 discussion, and possible action regarding a memorandum of understanding between the City of Eagle Pass and a potential investor; and any other matters incident thereto.”
Both Agenda Items Nos. 19 and 21 expressly provided that the City Council go into Executive Session (Closed Session) to discuss a potential memorandum of understanding (agreement) between the City of Eagle Pass and a potential investor, including taking possible action in Open Session. However, both agenda items fail to discuss or mention the specific topic or item the potential memorandum of understanding is about and fails to identify the name of the “potential investor.”
Eagle Pass taxpayers raised their concerns that Agenda Items Nos. 19 and 21 were extremely vague and so overbroad that they both failed to comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act notice requirements. Taxpayers complained to Mayor Aaron Valdez and City Council that they could not reasonably ascertain the specific topic or item to be discussed in closed session without taxpayers having the benefit of public notice required of each agenda item.
One taxpayer, Sandra Sassano, reminded Mayor Aaron Valdez that his campaign platform during his election was to provide “accountability and transparency” on all City-business matters. The taxpayer demanded Mayor Valdez to honor his campaign promise of “accountability and transparency.”
Alfredo Sanchez, a leader of The Border Organization, told Mayor Valdez and the City Council that approximately three weeks ago The Border Organization met with Mayor Valdez and City Manager Homero Balderas to discuss the importance of voting for a resolution against the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project, but Mayor Valdez advised the Border Trade Organization that he was going to focus on expanding the City of Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 2 and that he did not have a position on whether to support or oppose the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project.
Sanchez noted that the language on Agenda Items Nos. 19 and 21 were extremely vague and violated public notice requirements. Sanchez added that the Executive Session agenda items cannot enter into a memorandum of understanding between a governmental entity such as the City of Eagle Pass and a private investor group. Sanchez questioned Mayor Valdez and City Council as to what specific subject matter was to be discussed in closed session, demanding transparency on all City-business matters.
Jessie F. Fuentes, a Board member with the Eagle Pass Border Coalition and a Rio Grande River advocate, advised Mayor Valdez and City Council that the City of Eagle Pass needs to take a stronger position in protecting its sole source of potable water, the Rio Grande, by opposing the construction of floating water buoys by the Trump Administration and the proposed construction of the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project in flood zones within Eagle Pass, Texas. Fuentes cited two studies recommending against the construction of the Puerto Verde Bridge Project and another that it be relocated to a lesser uninhabited area of Maverick County. Fuentes concluded the City of Eagle Pass needs to take a stand against any projects that risk its only source of potable water, the Rio Grande.
Jose Alonso Corpus, a Board member of the Eagle Pass Border Coalition, addressed Mayor Valdez and City Council to remind them about the dangers, risks, and contamination of the Rio Grande by the proposed Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project in Eagle Pass. Corpus cited scientific data and studies provided to the City of Eagle Pass have gone unheeded by this Administration. Corpus noted City leadership has failed to take into consideration the dangers and risks facing Eagle Pass as a result of the proposed Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project.
America Garcia-Grewal of The Border Vigil and Frontera Federation spoke on behalf of Ms. Tencha Hernandez, a member of the Border Organization, stating Mayor Valdez had promised Ms. Hernandez to keep an open door whenever an issue arose, but when Ms. Hernandez sought to speak with Mayor Valdez concerning the Puerto Verde Bridge Project he was unable to meet with her. Garcia-Grewal added that City Council should table Agenda Items Nos. 19 and 21 because of the lack of transparency in open government. Garcia-Grewal stated City Council should always choose “transparency over secrecy.”
Eagle Pass taxpayers have placed Mayor Valdez and City Council on notice that they expect transparency and accountability on all City-business matters.
The Eagle Pass City Council went into Executive Session and when they returned into Open Session, Mayor Valdez announced that Agenda Items Nos. 19 and 21 would not have any action taken on them as they had been presented for informative purposes. But taxpayers still do not know what specific topics or subjects were discussed in Closed Session. Stay tuned.
