Flood project funding in Texas

The Edinburg City Council held a meeting Tuesday to consider a resolution in support of a state constitutional amendment known as Proposition 8.

The proposition will create Flood Infrastructure Fund (FIF) for a statewide cooperative effort for regional flood planning, mitigation, and infrastructure project to make Texas future proof.

State Rep. R. D. “Bobby” Guerra (D-Edinburg) attended to present the proposition to the city council.

“Proposition 8 is going to be a wonderful proposition, it’s not going to raise our taxes,” said “Bobby” Guerra. “The money comes from the rainy-day fund, the economic stabilization fund and that money comes from oil and gas revenues.”

The FIF creates a fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation and flood control projects across the state.

“Bobby” Guerra believes this is extremely important since flooding occurs all over the Rio Grande Valley.

“We didn’t even have a hurricane and [residents] were under water,” he said.

The state will fund the FIF with $793 million from the rainy-day fund plus an additional $110 million for the soft costs for startup.

“It just takes excess revenue that currently exists at the state level and allocates it for drainage projects throughout the state,” said City Manager Juan G. Guerra. “So, it doesn’t cost the taxpayer anything.”

Juan Guerra told The Rider, this is good for the State of Texas, and he believes it makes a lot of sense since Edinburg went from an agricultural area to a more developed area. So, with less areas for the water to seep into the ground, the water will have to be channeled somewhere.

“That’s why we’re facing a lot of the issues, it’s the development,” he said. “So, it’s important because every city has developed, and I think every city is in need of drainage improvements.”

Jordan Blanton, exercise science sophomore and a recent transfer student from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, experienced Hurricane Harvey back home in Rockport.

“Being in it, it felt we were very unprepared,” Blanton said. “It took so long to recover, and it was stuff that was, like, simple too. The debris on the side of the road, was just there forever, it took, like, weeks for the power to come on.”

The vote to support Proposition 8 was passed 4-0. Councilmember Homer Jasso Jr. not in attendance for the vote.

“Bobby” Guerra wants everyone to come together to make sure the city can try to prevent these issues from happening.

“Get out and vote,” he said to UTRGV students. “It’s important to get into that habit of voting.”

Residents will have the chance to vote on Proposition 8 in the Nov. 5 elections.

In other news, a plaque was awarded to Marisa Oliva, manager of the World Birding Center in Edinburg, for “Project Wild Facilitator of the Year.”

“I’m very honored, this is a curriculum that’s near and dear to my heart,” Oliva said. “I’ve been working at it since I was in college.”

She also said she’s honored to be recognized for the work she and her team have done.

“Nature is a part of us and sometimes we’re very separate of it,” Oliva said.