Edinburg residents raise concerns over development, taxes and water as council reviews strong audit

Arnoldo Mata

Edinburg, TX – Concerns about taxes, infrastructure, and environmental safety took center stage during the Edinburg City Council meeting on March 17, as residents voiced frustrations during public comments, while city officials highlighted strong financial performance and grappled with a controversial subdivision proposal.

Subdivision proposal sparks debate, Council approves after executive session

The most contentious issue of the meeting centered on a proposed residential subdivision (Item 9B), which drew multiple speakers both in opposition and support. The request was for the rezoning from Agriculture an Open Space (AO) to Residential, Primary (RP) for a 16.77 acre tract located at 5161 N. I-69C in the City’s extra-territorial jurisdiction. Access to the development would be on Nardo Street.

Residents, including Emilio Ramos, raised concerns about the site’s history as a former airstrip and the potential for soil contamination. “Planes… spill chemicals… how is this possible?” Ramos said, questioning whether proper testing had been conducted. 

Other residents echoed concerns about traffic and safety, noting the development would add dozens of vehicles to a dead-end road with limited access, Nardo Street.

Edward Salinas, who said he works in oil and gas, urged caution. ”Just because we don’t have reports… doesn’t mean that they’re not there,” he said, referring to potential chemical contamination. 

Additional speakers, including Enrique Ramos, referenced fears tied to past contamination cases in the region.

Council member Dan Diaz moved to table the item. “I’m going to make a motion to table. this item, I don’t want to kill the project, and I don’t want to ignore the residents,” Diaz said.

Diaz went on to say, “Obviously anybody could come up and proclaim chemicals, anything like that. How do we verify (that)? Where do we go from here? If this was something that was a concern a year ago, why wasn’t it addressed? And what changed a year ago from denial to staff approving?”

Jaime Acevedo, Director of Planning and Zoning, responded. “I could explain a little bit of it. Last year, it came before the city council with a positive recommendation from p and z and staff. It was denied at city council when residents showed up in opposition. Last year it was a little bit different because nobody showed up to P and Z, but they did show up to city counts, so the item failed. It didn’t get the support from the council or the mayor at that time. Fast forward to where we are at today. People did show up at P and Z; however, it did pass at P and Z.”

Acevedo added, “Staff’s recommendation is still the same. We’re for the rezoning. The claims about the airstrip, if that’s something that was just brought up this time around, it wasn’t brought up previously.”

Developers and project representatives pushed back, stating there is no documented evidence of contamination and emphasizing planned infrastructure improvements. According to city staff, the developers did hire an independent testing firm that indicated that the property was safe or below state levels. “There is no actual log report of the contamination right now,” a project representative said. 

City staff confirmed there are no known environmental flags or regulatory concerns associated with the property and that the development meets current requirements.

Mayor Omar Ochoa questioned city staff on how the proposed development met all city requirements. Staff confirmed that the project met all requirements as far as requiring the proper water lines and fire hydrants. There are no fire hydrants in the area at this time. If the fire department were to respond to a call in the area, they would only be able to rely on the water in their pumper truck and would have to go elsewhere to reload water.

Staff also confirmed that the road widening would meet city street construction standards. As street construction proceeds, local traffic will be accommodated so that residents will still be able to access their homes throughout the entire process.

The motion to table the item failed. A second motion to approve the item failed to get a second. Mayor Ochoa said the item could still be brought back since no action was taken.

The Council then continued with the rest of its agenda. However, after a lengthy executive session, the Council voted to approve the zoning change without further discussion. Council member Dan Diaz voted against the approval, with Mayor Omar Ochoa and Council members Gerardo Lozano and David Salazar Jr. voting for the motion. Council member Jason De Leon did not attend the meeting.

Residents question spending, taxes and priorities

During the public comment portion, several speakers challenged the city’s financial decisions and priorities, particularly regarding economic development incentives.

One resident, Fern McClarty, urged the council to curb spending and avoid increasing the tax burden on residents. “We don’t want this council to take any action that will increase our taxes… every 12 months this council produces a budget that is higher than the last one,” she said. 

She also criticized past incentive deals, questioning whether they delivered meaningful results for the community. “Families making $60,000 a year have to carry the financial burden of the city expenditures,” she said. 

Other speakers raised broader planning concerns. Diane Teeter warned that rapid development could outpace the city’s resources, particularly water. “Water must come first because no amount of development can outrun a dry river,” Teeter said. 

Teeter cautioned that continued rezoning and paving over open land could strain drainage systems and reduce flood protection, while also increasing long-term demand on an already limited water supply.

Infrastructure concerns were also raised by residents, including Obed Montoya, who criticized unfinished road conditions in his neighborhood. In January of this year, the city had closed portions of Alberta Road from Shalom Drive to Calle Divina to install drainage infrastructure.

“Alberta Road is not done yet… Alberta is nothing but a dip,” Montoya said, describing difficulties accessing the area. Montoya went on to compare Alberta to roads in Reynosa, Tamp., Mexico, the city across the Rio Grande from Hidalgo TX. Montoya added that the city’s engineering department is not doing its job, 

Ricardo Gomez proposed expanding access to public facilities to help residents experiencing homelessness.

“Just being able to be presentable for that job interview… I think it might be a nice addition,” Gomez said, suggesting the use of public pools or similar facilities for showers. 

Not all comments were critical. Rosie Silva and her son Cash Silvathanked the council for addressing safety concerns at a Fountain Center Park, noting improvements there will benefit hundreds of children. Located next to Austin Elementary School, the city worked with the Edinburg CISD to extend fencing to allow students to use the playscapes in the park. 

 ” We’re just very grateful that you guys were able to come together with the school district and share some of our concerns,” Rosie Silva said. “A lot of the parents are just very grateful for you all to even make that effort.  So, thank you. Thank you very much.” The Silvas had previously spoken at an Edinburg CISD Board of Trustees to express their thanks for the two entities working together on the project.

City receives strong financial audit

With respect to the city’s audit, the city received a positive financial report for fiscal year 2025.

Roel Cantu, with the firm Cascos and Associates, said, “The City of Edinburg earned an unmodified opinion. This is the cleanest and most favorable opinion and entity can receive, so congratulations on that. And I do want to put a emphasis on the word earned. It’s earned through the hard work that you all do throughout the fiscal year. We don’t just give these out to everyone. So again, congratulations on that.

According to the report:

• The city generated approximately $83 million in revenue
• Reported about $87.9 million in expenditures
• Maintained $28.4 million in unassigned fund balance

Auditors also noted the city has 118 days of operating reserves, significantly exceeding the recommended 70 to 90 days.

Council members praised city staff for improving financial stability in recent years, with one noting increased confidence compared to prior years.