Weslaco · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Weslaco public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Trash tipping fees and a possible transfer station
January's trash disposal bill hit $65,809 because short-staffed crews hauled to the closer but pricier La Feria transfer station — $43.11 a ton versus $17.75 in Edinburg. Staff will study the logistics and consider renegotiating the Republic Services rate.
Cemetery fee review
Final action on raising non-resident cemetery plot fees was postponed until October; non-resident sales are paused in the meantime, and commissioners want to review all cemetery fees during budget season since neighboring cities charge far more.
FY 2026-27 property tax rate reduction
Weslaco adopted a property tax rate of $0.6678 per $100 — nearly two cents lower than last year. The mayor credited long-term financial discipline, noting staff began working toward a cut before the Attorney General's rate ceiling letter arrived.
Property tax rate reduction
The city locked in a tax rate of $0.6678 per $100 — nearly two cents lower than last year. The mayor credited years of financial discipline, noting staff was already working toward a cut before the Attorney General's letter set the ceiling.
Master Fee Schedule updates
A proposed $5-a-month opt-in recycling fee got pulled at the last minute. Commissioners worried it wouldn't cover trucks, bins, and driver time, and want a community survey and workshop before setting a price.
TMRS retirement funding decision
The city chose to keep its annual ad hoc retirement benefit rather than the repeating option, which would have jumped the employer contribution rate from 9.14% to 13.41% in 2027.
Employee insurance renewals and rising health costs
Two insurance awards hit snags: Hartford tried to condition its life insurance bid on extra products, so the city switched to MetLife; the accident policy bids were all rejected for a rebid, with a 30-day extension protecting coverage.
FY2026-27 city budget
The city's new budget includes a 2% raise for most employees, five new positions, and $2.5 million in capital purchases, funded partly by a one-time $1.1 million draw from reserves. The tax rate drops nearly 2 cents to $0.6678 per $100 — the no-new-revenue rate — though rising property values mean total collections still grow.
Employee health insurance premium increase
The city's group health insurance is renewing at a 35% premium increase — negotiated down from 41% — costing roughly $4.5 million a year. It's a significant budget hit, but staff said it was the best available bid.
Commercial insurance package renewal at higher cost
Nobody else bid on the city's commercial property/liability package, so the commission had to take the Texas Municipal League renewal — a $310,000 increase over last year.
Workers' compensation carrier selection
The city picked Texas Mutual's out-of-network plan even though the in-network option was $44,000 cheaper, because local in-network providers are scarce. Texas Mutual has also paid the city nearly $461,000 in safety dividends over five years.
Delinquent tax collections improving
The city's tax law firm collected over $334,000 in six months and uses text-to-pay outreach; 123 lawsuits pending represent over $432,000 still owed.
Commission meeting schedule change
Starting June 2026, meetings return to the first and third Tuesdays, with workshops at 4:30 p.m. and regular meetings at 5:30 p.m.
Mid-Year Budget Amendment
The city's mid-year budget fix covers overtime, two garbage trucks, a refurbished ambulance, and two new director positions. All funds net out about $1.4 million positive thanks to property taxes, but the major operating funds run about $777,000 negative — and overtime is under scrutiny.
Sanitation Fleet Replacement
Trash trucks are running 1,400-1,500 stops a day — nearly double the recommended load — and all have over 100,000 miles. Staff is building a five-year replacement plan, and the mayor wants two new trucks on the next agenda.
City Finances — FY 2025 Audit Results
The General Fund is healthy with $3.1M added and strong sales tax, but the sanitation and airport funds are running negative, and the water fund tightens after $4M in bond payments. The mayor ordered monthly budget check-ins with every department.
City employee pay study
The commission has committed to raising city employee pay from the 12th to the 55th percentile, a move praised publicly by the library board president.
Housing Authority PILOT program
About $20,000 a year in HUD payment-in-lieu-of-taxes money will now flow back to the Housing Authority's nonprofit for scholarships and senior food programs, at no net cost to the city.
Municipal court fines collection
Coming out of executive session, the city will hire a collection service for unpaid municipal court fines and fees.
HCAD board vacancy nomination
Weslaco nominates planning and zoning president David Hernandez for the appraisal district board seat vacated by Eddie Betancourt's passing; the HCAD board picks the replacement May 14.
City Employee Pay Raises After Compensation Study
A study found Weslaco pays workers about 50% below the market — around the 12th percentile — making it hard to hire and keep staff. The commission approved 10% raises for hourly workers and 5% for salaried staff, retroactive to February 1. Full implementation of the study would cost about $1.5 million and raise payroll roughly 18%.
City-EDC funding alignment and employee retention
The city asked the EDC to help pay for infrastructure like drainage and water lines so the city can redirect money toward competitive raises — parks and public works keep losing trained workers to cities paying $2-3 more an hour. Both sides agreed to work out multi-year funding expectations during budget sessions starting in May.
TIRZ No. 2 creation and TIRZ No. 1 changes
The city finalized a new 193.7-acre Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 2, trimmed properties out of TIRZ No. 1, and appointed Randy Winston and Americo Garza to the TIRZ No. 1 board.