Canales touts COVID response, progress on roads, drainage in State of the County address

ROBSTOWN — Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales touted the county’s financial standing, COVID-19 response, progress toward improving roads and drainage, and military presence during the first State of the County event in two years.

The event, which was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was held at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown.

It’s a $100 million site that usually hosts the Nueces County Junior Livestock Show, cheer competitions, the Peddler Show and wedding receptions. But it took on a new role in the pandemic: a major center in the county for COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and monoclonal antibody infusions.

“Here is where we became strong,” Canales said Wednesday.

Public health

Canales addressed the city of Corpus Christi’s decision to pull out of the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District.

More: City of Corpus Christi considers extending timeline for health district split with county

She said the county is going to prepare a “fully vetted and comprehensive transition plan” so it can continue to offer services for the area’s most prevalent health issues, particularly in rural South Texas: addiction, mental health, suicide prevention, obesity, diabetes, hypertension.

“Everybody deserves a chance to have public health,” Canales said. “So our mission will not change.”

She said the health district’s work, particularly for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, served not just the county, but the region.

“The minute you start seeing borders when it comes to public health, or drainage, we’ve lost,” she said.

Drainage

A recurring theme of Canales’ speech was addressing the needs of the rural parts of the county.

One of those needs is drainage improvement. In May, the Texas Water Development Board approved the county’s application for a $2 million grant to fund a tri-county regional master drainage study program.

More: State awards $2.7 million grant for South Texas drainage master plan study

Nueces County is partnering with Jim Wells and Kleberg counties, as well as Nueces County Drainage District No. 2 and the area’s small cities.

With the grant, the county will develop computer models of the Baffin Bay and South Corpus Christi watersheds across all three counties to determine where detention ponds are needed and where to invest in new dredging for ditches.

Officials have embarked on drainage workshops around the county to “address operations and maintenance problems now,” Canales said.

She said the project is an investment not only to prevent flooding in residents’ homes but also to spur new growth in the county.

Finances

The county has an annual budget of more than $250 million, $105 million of which is funded by property tax revenue.

Canales said the commissioners’ court has lowered the tax rate for the last three years.

“That’s impressive because we’ve done it while improving services and delivering on infrastructure projects under a brand-new, never-been-done-before 2019 capital improvement plan,” she said.

She said the county has increased its cash reserves — also called a rainy day fund — by 27% since she entered office in 2019. The county has built its reserves to $24 million.

“We beat our budget every year,” Canales said. “What is that all about? Good management of public monies.

“Our court was able to take advantage of historically low interest rates to refinance old debt and long-term debt.”

Since January 2020, the county has secured $94 million in federal and state funding for COVID-19 and Hurricane Harvey recovery, including $70.3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Officials have gathered public input from a handful of in-person forums and an online survey to determine how the ARPA funds will be used.

The feedback showed that the priority projects are mental health and health care, drainage and stormwater infrastructure, and household and individual assistance.

The county was awarded a $4.6 million in a Community Development Block Grant, which paid for four county roads and an emergency marquee at the fairgrounds to replace one that was destroyed by high winds during Hurricane Harvey.

Military

Hundreds of military members — across the Texas Army National Guard, the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions and Medical Brigades — conducted innovative readiness training missions in Nueces County last summer. Those missions included upgrading roads in the county’s colonias and giving free medical services to adults and children and free veterinarian services.

The military members will be back to give services next summer, Canales said.

“They got real world training. We got real benefits,” she said. “I think that’s pretty much what you call a win-win.”

Canales also pointed out that the county recently took over local control of the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery, one of four Texas veteran cemeteries.

“That is an incredible honor and distinction,” she said. “We are a military community, and we will take care of this sacred ground.”

Bob Hall Pier

The county’s well-known Bob Hall Pier was damaged by Hurricane Hanna in 2020 and has faced a long road for its rebuild.

The county was denied aid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and approved certificates of obligation for capital improvements, including $18 million for the pier.

During public town halls in January, the county will unveil renderings of the new pier. Officials gathered 2,600 comments from the public, and the renderings take into account residents’ suggestions on lighting, bathroom amenities, bait stands, and a new restaurant and event center.

“We will be back on the map with one of our greatest Gulf Coast treasures, Bob Hall Pier,” Canales said.

“From the coast to the country, your county is strong — from the fiscal house to its infrastructure.”

Vicky Camarillo covers Nueces County government and enterprise topics in Nueces County and Texas. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Canales touts COVID-19 response and progress at State of the County