Leaders identify their counties' top needs

EDINBURG — A massive public works investment will undoubtedly end up getting political as states and metro areas fight for a bigger piece of the public works pie.

The best way to ensure the Rio Grande Valley receives at least a small piece is by lobbying for it, said Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas. In early January, Salinas and other county judges plan to travel to Washington, D.C., for an event hosted by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.

When Salinas gets an audience with influential figures, he said, he shows them presentations for needed infrastructure projects loaded on a USB flash drive he carries.

One of those presentations is for a plan to improve the flow of North American Free Trade Agreement goods by adding four overpasses to U.S. 281.

The project was ready for groundbreaking on the Falfurrias overpass when the Texas Department of Transportation scrapped it due to lack of funding.

The U.S. 281 improvements, along with work on almost 100 miles of levees and construction of a U.S Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, are the priorities Salinas would ask legislators like Cuellar to push for in an economic stimulus package.

Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos said he would look at a "regional approach to maximize dollars" if economic stimulus funding were directed to the Valley.

His top projects would address regional needs like a VA hospital, Valley-wide drainage improvements or a regional morgue.

"A regional approach would spread the available money around more," Cascos said. "We want to keep it localized and improve our local institutions."

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.