Mayor urges spending initiatives

Initiatives that would result in more taxation and user fees highlight Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr.'s recent State of the City address.

Creating a taxing district to meet public safety needs and calling for a bond issue for capital improvements by referendum are among the proposals.

Ahumada also is calling for increases in international bridge tolls, license plate fees, and fees for liability insurance for road construction. He again called on developers to pay equitable impact fees.

The mayor also proposes an election to revise the City Charter. He proposes to bring the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, the Brownsville Economic Development Corporation and the Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau under the city's control and to stop the payment of benefits to city commissioners.

With almost a year in office, Ahumada outlined initiatives and accomplishments of an administration whose performance has been affected by a difficult period of transition, divisiveness, hostility, extreme sensitivities and alienation, he said.

"Citizens expect mayors to provide leadership and set the pace to build better communities, because normally they are the most engaged in city affairs. In this instance the state of affairs within the city of Brownsville is divisive, because they all want to be mayor, but in spite of this, the future is bright for Brownsville," Ahumada wrote in his address.

"I strongly feel Brownsville's ability to transform itself to a national destination is starting to take place. Some will criticize that I should or should not do this, but my response is that we are better off today then prior to June 16, 2007," he added, referring to the time he took office.

Calling the city's government, "divisive," Ahumada said all entities should not operate independent of the city because this "viciously divides," and allows for little or no input from the city.

With a major portion of the city's budget allocated for public safety needs, Ahumada proposes a public safety taxing district to meet the personnel and equipment needs and free general-fund monies for other just-as-pressing requirements. He proposes a bond issue to address drainage and street paving initiatives and to continue funding for the Gladys Porter Zoo and the arts.

He proposes an alliance with the Mexican cities of Matamoros and Tampico to work together toward approval of the weir project on the Rio Grande, international flights and a desalination and power plant at the Port of Brownsville. The weir project, he said, would spur commercial development, including a riverwalk, a casino ship, and a theme park.

He will continue working to synchronize traffic signals and install cameras at busy intersections. Ahumada also said that a natural habitat corridor should be developed at Linear Park to attract birds and butterflies. He called for a teen facility and 24 hour teen crisis counseling hotline. He further wants the city to partner with students at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College to operate a teen-court mentor program.

He also wants to require that lots be at least 75 feet wide by 100 feet deep to eliminate slum developments.

The mayor also wants to partner with medical community to raise awareness on health issues including HIV-AIDS, obesity and diabetes. He wants to build a 180-foot-high flagpole dedicated to all veterans, and to build statues of historical personalities.

The mayor also pointed to accomplishments including raising the minimum wage to $8.50 an hour for city employees and adopting the county's holiday schedule, starting a recycling program, completing a veterinary clinic with a veterinarian on board, further developing an emergency evacuation plan in case of hurricanes and assisting the arts and the Gladys Porter Zoo.