Area News
Financial criticism preceded Harlingen superintendent’s resignation
On August 27, the Harlingen school board unveiled to the public a finance committee ostensibly meant to give the district a leg up on planning the next year’s budget. On its face, it was a boring meeting. Trustees described it as a basic introduction to the new committee and didn’t discuss topics in depth. Though…
Read MorePush to censure Edinburg school board trustees fails
A push to censure two Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District Board trustees failed Tuesday in deadlocked 3-3 votes after trustees spent the better part of an hour hurling allegations at each other in the first major break the board’s had in over a year. Trustees Mike Farias, Letty Flores and Letty Garcia asked for…
Read MoreLa Joya inks contract with new city manager
The La Joya City Council approved a contract with new City Manager Jaime Sandoval Wednesday. Sandoval, who started last month, says he signed a two-year contract with the city under which he’ll be paid $105,000 a year. Council picked Sandoval out of a pool of candidates that included other former city managers and…
Read MoreMission man arrested for stealing $85K from FFA program
Police arrested a Mission man Monday after he allegedly embezzled over $85,000 from an Hidalgo County FFA program during a three-year span, spending that money on things like bar tabs and online purchases. Marcos “Marc” Villarreal, who authorities say is the former president of the Citrus Valley District FFA, was charged with theft of…
Read MoreMcAllen ISD says it’s rectified finances
McAllen school board trustees heard a novel update last Tuesday: their administration told them that not only do they have surplus money on hand, but they have an awful lot of surplus money on hand. Texas requires school districts to keep 75 days worth of operating expenses available in their fund balances, basically their…
Read MoreVoter Registration Deadline Looms
If you waited until the last minute to register to vote in the upcoming presidential election, the bad news is you only have 72 hours left, as this Monday, October 7 is the registration deadline. The good news is that the Hidalgo County Elections Department will be open until 8 pm on October 7…
Read MoreAyer, Hoy, y Siempre — Preserving Mission history
Missionite Andrea Flores calls on locals to share their stories about the town’s history. The artist is hosting an Oct. 12 workshop, also known as a memory share session, at Speer Memorial Library for a film project honoring Mission’s past. For the workshop called Ayer, Hoy, y Siempre, Flores wants Missionites to share their stories,…
Read MoreFamily claims Edinburg funeral home mixed up mother’s ashes
Six siblings claimed in a lawsuit this summer that an Edinburg funeral home mixed up their mother’s ashes with a stranger’s. The 75-year-old woman — called Maria F. Garcia in the suit but Maria F. Davila in other court documents and a death notice — died at her home in Edinburg this February of…
Read MoreRising Property Values Will Result In Higher Tax Bills
While some cities and the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court recently approved steady tax property rates, owners will continue to see higher tax bills as their holdings will receive increased appraised values next year. Hidalgo County Chief Appraiser Rolando Garza told the Progress Times that while the real estate market has plateaued, an increase in…
Read MoreSharyland’s tax rate remains the same
The Sharyland ISD Board of Trustees approved a tax rate of $0.9575 per $100 valuation, making it the ninth year in a row the district has lowered or kept the same tax rate. SISD’s tax rate contains two elements — the maintenance and operations rate (M&O) and interest and sinking rate (I&S). This year, the…
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