[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6479227,"mediaKeyId","5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2","parentId",5706720,"title","Residents tell court they were not notified about proposed cell tower on small strip of private land","audioSeconds",193,"startMs",3083000,"endMs",3276000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2&start=3083&end=3276","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2/thumbnail_3083000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6479227/Hidalgo-County/Texas/Residents-tell-court-they-were-not-notified-about-proposed-cell-tower-on-small-strip-of-private-land","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479227-79e7291eb9cd460ae785e19091bc8cf2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770557593&Signature=M0YvKL-V7R~E8K5smt~8oUssNW6ARpWyMX6R~6e89m9413iy8DLOlzsoI75nbzqX0cVtNMKKOCjPcA6HXW7Mfhm3EjZpGPs0eX9pm~d0VwcBkNI03VD1~3gv4SeD-Zyg17z0Jqakay0sume71wG8luezjlBCjuangds~sOYOAEHfguNb625YZ-hUtvG0-3e5DdcZ8xPNWzDMFDRKDrDze0c4MatPVF~o3QEkFSMXQhCH4vkAbZZiIeF4vxo8GkGltx~NJ9~Tg2iyDCvRjbF8pr12a6xMzpcEwLKmA0O9aqZs23BrF47Zz4-9JPgz0kNvc1yLxhpG53V9vDQcD-Ph2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hidalgo","date","2025-09-02T00:00:00Z","article","A local resident, recorded in the meeting transcript as Elena Cantu, addressed commissioners during open forum to raise neighborhood concerns about a proposed cell-phone tower planned on a 50-foot strip of land that sits between two homes.

Cantu said she and neighbors received no notice of the tower's installation and that they do not know its height, whether there are health or noise impacts, or whether required land-use notifications were made. She said the underlying property owner is David Torres and that the owner has several acres behind the strip where the tower could instead be placed nearer to an existing paved road.

Cantu asked the court to look into why residents were not notified and to determine whether the zoning change (from residential to commercial/industrial, as she said) and related approvals had been processed correctly. She said she had visited an office associated with the project and spoken with a staff member identified as Amitra Champion but had not received the information neighbors sought.

The court acknowledged the comment; no specific action was taken at the meeting. Commissioners or staff who handle permitting and land-use matters were not recorded making a commitment during the public forum, but the comment was entered into the public record for follow-up by county planning and permitting staff as appropriate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hidalgo - Commissioner's Court","oneSentenceSummary","A resident said a cell tower is planned for a narrow 50-foot strip between two houses and that neighbors received no prior notice about height, health, or land-use questions; she named the landowner and asked county staff to investigate.","taxTitle","Hidalgo County, Texas","taxId",2708,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6479233,"Public commenter urges commissioners to reconsider $50 million bond sale and argues for tax relief",147,2853000,3000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2&start=2853&end=3000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2/thumbnail_2853000.jpg","/articles/6479233/Hidalgo-County/Texas/Public-commenter-urges-commissioners-to-reconsider-50-million-bond-sale-and-argues-for-tax-relief","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479233-d62e3cfe1f38c28ae83252c94cfd857a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770557593&Signature=GXO4F8Sn-7jb~tEb9tkfMPNo8ZO9mP0sQUuESLBPx9U-zUGAamqd-o7VuCGsm6pmDXHjKDScpxt597YxkozQnx893bVvyZcl0BmQKnPaJRFqp-8ZUA4CQpwY1m0vL9iteanw~tH9AmKeaqlIjgbC~lwoimusxAx4wi6xiORDrj3484quCYfZ~9O9H5DT-axx55AARqaXTtwaHUrGobQfG4DxHJns75GtWOHzJbmHl3ZDY38~hiLuHDAQcJNOHjBCtzYEnlxyo0icD3dI~8EZDdDBZaVpfSlRAw8xJKGD~lzDShBGQiiEoTRRAL4NTV3K3OXnZvhSVor8jcLFD9H0Sw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the meeting's public forum a local resident, identified in the record as Fern McClarty, urged commissioners to reconsider plans to sell $50 million in bonds and questioned how the sale would benefit Hidalgo County residents.

McClarty said she opposed additional bond sales, arguing the county should instead consider tax relief and targeting funds to support families in poverty and new business creation. She said the sale of bonds to fund another jail would raise taxes and cited figures she attributed to county finances: bond maturities of $42.5 million and an interest figure for county debt in 2025 of $33,000,000. She urged the court to seek reimbursements and other funding sources rather than relying on new bonds.

Her remarks also referenced upcoming statewide propositions and recent legislative measures that could affect homestead exemptions and business personal property exemptions. McClarty said those reforms, combined with mindful county spending, would better serve residents than selling more bonds.

The court did not take direct action during the meeting in response to the comments; commissioners acknowledged the public forum remarks but moved on to scheduled agenda items.","During the open forum a resident urged the court to reject selling $50 million in bonds (citing a planned jail project) and pressed for tax cuts and relief measures, warning the bond sale would increase taxes and pointing to existing county interest payments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6479237,"Hidalgo County commissioners approve consent items, proclamations, grants and contracts in routine court session",530,1800000,2330000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2&start=1800&end=2330","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2/thumbnail_1800000.jpg","/articles/6479237/Hidalgo-County/Texas/Hidalgo-County-commissioners-approve-consent-items-proclamations-grants-and-contracts-in-routine-court-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479237-cb9306e1f9c9fe3090cf1917b45c8071/orig.mp4?Expires=1770557593&Signature=K-3hQ6svObVwprhrMNJiWcQRoeQUwvznKQN7ZCPtpJ1bR7iXBbuW7SDTrau9sC3-qm67TzLrBa8ojrAOun0XTEpSCfHfxCdghnUVQqdYPITe~-FiQaPfgwncZM-0VCexR8ZMgYwikyYilqFFZu3iJeCrR19o7tXeOpyHCOcWa7cYsaMREcrIIt1z76E0TRvBORW4ZbTtnphVZyCjBlpRKI3p0ytvkRArX39GrJLKGcCgrhCu0iFSbV4SVvhpn-JymR2aLzcXRU21-KtP6NRBhf~My4V-PmqwCyyyveRu-3bF7YW~aWlNPMBvftp2YIHK~HGK3vTAGQB4AoLooOOJ2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hidalgo County Commissioners Court approved a wide range of routine and substantive items during its meeting, including proclamations, contract awards, grant acceptances, procurement authorizations and appropriations.

Key approvals (motions passed, outcomes summarized):
- Renaming: The court approved a resolution renaming the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Place 2 building to the Jesus Morales Justice Court to honor the late Judge Jesus E. Morales; motion carried unanimously.
- Proclamations: The court proclaimed September 2025 as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and also proclaimed September 2025 as National Alopecia Awareness Month. Both proclamations passed by voice vote.
- Grants and budget actions: The court approved the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) 2026 planning budget (staff reported an $11,882,144 planning assumption) and accepted a FY2026 Victim Coordinator and Liaison Grant (VCLG) in the amount of $49,500 for the district attorney's office.
- Education and Head Start items: The court approved agreements and purchases to support adult education and Head Start programs, including authorization to purchase school buses (multiple bus types) under a cooperative contract.
- Elections: The court approved polling locations and election preparations for the Nov. 4, 2025 constitutional amendment/special election (17 amendments on the ballot) and confirmed the early voting calendar.
- Public works and procurement: The court approved construction and procurement actions across precincts, including bid awards and contract payments for drain and road projects, issuance of a first lease payment under an agreement with Willacy County Public Facility Corporation ($2,300,000), and multiple purchase orders and contract extensions (procurement items approved under competitive-bid exemptions where applicable).
- Human resources: The court approved multiple personnel actions requested by departments, including temporary tax-season hires for the tax office and position reclassifications.

Most items were presented by department staff and approved with motions and seconding votes; several approvals were taken from the consent agenda after select items were pulled for separate consideration. Where commissioners had an interest or conflict, abstentions were recorded on the public record (for example, Commissioner Fuentes recorded abstentions on specified consent items).","A single meeting produced multiple approvals: proclamations for awareness months, a courthouse renaming, grant acceptances, procurement and construction contract actions, and routine personnel and budget items. Most items passed by majority voice votes or unanimous consent.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6479241,"Hidalgo County sets ceiling on proposed 2025 tax rate at $0.575 per $100, commissioners vote unanimously",35,5630000,5665000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2&start=5630&end=5665","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5706720-66b9394cfd490e477edbab6e06c32cc2/thumbnail_5630000.jpg","/articles/6479241/Hidalgo-County/Texas/Hidalgo-County-sets-ceiling-on-proposed-2025-tax-rate-at-0575-per-100-commissioners-vote-unanimously","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479241-44be72c69d52b854752732c64be5a4da/orig.mp4?Expires=1770557593&Signature=aFrQw44i4TTwSjbrTPPDzogDB4pULChzNTslRORjvqhEUeki5Gns53aBdm1HCG7wkpXpW8cP~5pGoPGhECLOEEdEud0rOQ15wqwaUVW6EbY7x9HAwqZac-7VlekrhECWTHdc6Fi3G~NNI~lJCaE7fXzc0Y0IIH2MY-550vzi3XgXaBnODme92M-RgZzDjNHl-f4wYY3v-5~PIEcVZaeHPA5n3rLCMOm2MFdy6BIKHU4yYpjxikDAYi-HjlKsfqdwn~816rFsC2filJOuVVIY-TBtRhfMbLFpsbSA0Kmesis2Qy3YFDq~jRe8cRGWtyPxcR00Pu0NwVfWS06E6bEOXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hidalgo County Commissioners Court took a record vote on a proposed ceiling for the 2025 property tax rate, voting unanimously to set a maximum rate “not to exceed 0.575” (57.5 cents) per $100 of property valuation.

The court’s budget staff presented the county’s no-new-revenue and voter-approval benchmarks and recommended a ceiling rather than a fixed adopted rate. The budget presentation estimated general-fund revenues of $344,211,177 and said that at a 0.575 tax rate the county would collect about $303,844,309 in property taxes, using a conservative 95% collection rate.

The proposed ceiling preserves flexibility for the court during the upcoming public-notice and hearing process. County staff told the court they were using a conservative 95% collection assumption (down from 96% used in the prior year) and estimated the average homestead taxable value at roughly $176,000.

Budget staff briefed commissioners on how small changes in the rate would change levy totals: a “no new revenue” rate of roughly 0.5422 would produce the same levy as last year (about $277 million), while returning to the prior-year rate of 0.575 would raise the levy to roughly $294.7 million. Staff said the presentation excluded any properties that newly appeared on this year’s certified roll.

After a staff recommendation that the proposed rate “not exceed 0.575,” a member moved the motion and another commissioner seconded it. Commissioners indicated their votes by voice/hand; the court recorded a unanimous favorable vote by the four members present.

The court did not adopt a final tax rate at the meeting; staff and commissioners discussed scheduling public notice and hearings as required by state law and county procedures, with final adoption to follow the formal public-hearing process.

What’s next: The court recorded the proposed ceiling and will publish the required notices and hold the public hearing(s) before taking a final vote to adopt a 2025 tax rate. The budget office said it will continue to supply updated revenue and collection projections to the court ahead of any adoption.

","The Hidalgo County Commissioners Court took a record vote to set a proposed 2025 property tax rate not to exceed $0.575 per $100 of valuation; staff presented revenue estimates and a conservative 95% collection rate. A later public hearing and final adoption were left for subsequent court proceedings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents tell court they were not notified about proposed cell tower on small strip of private land

Public commenter urges commissioners to reconsider $50 million bond sale and argues for tax relief

Hidalgo County commissioners approve consent items, proclamations, grants and contracts in routine court session

Hidalgo County sets ceiling on proposed 2025 tax rate at $0.575 per $100, commissioners vote unanimously