Front Page || Main Index || Corpus Christi News || Business || Texas || Sports || Entertainment || Selena
Thursday, Oct. 1, 1998
South Texas counties discuss need for teamwork
3-day conference focuses on competing for funding
By GLASTON FORD
Staff WriterSouth Texas has a hard time competing for resources with other parts of the state, regional officials say, and to get those resources, communities must work together.
Representatives of 47 South Texas counties met this week in Corpus Christi for a three-day Future of the Region Conference, which concluded Wednesday. They discussed issues such as workforce development, infrastructure development, environmental issues and sustainable economic development.
If the communities can find the issues they agree upon, and present a united front to the Legislature, they can get more done than they can by acting alone, said Debbie Lindsey-Opel, a co-chair of the conference.
Delegates came up with 80 recommendations that will be consolidated into a report for state legislators from the area, said Lindsey-Opel, public affairs coordinator for H.E. Butt Grocery Co.
The goal is to get some of these recommendations translated into legislation or regulations, said Jorge Haynes, co-chair of the event and senior vice president of public affairs for International Bank of Commerce.
Transportation and university funding are two key issues for South Texas, he said. Transportation funding, which is based on traffic counts, does not favor communities such as Corpus Christi, Victoria and Laredo, he said.
Emerging universities, such as Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, receive special-item funding -- additional funds that come outside the normal allocation process. It is important that these funds continue to flow into the region, conference officials said.
Recommendations include allocating Texas Workforce Development funds with a needs-based formula, which considers employment and per-capita income, providing full formula funding for community colleges, and funding for the creation of a regional clearinghouse for information related to sustainable economic development.
Environmental concerns include regulating land usage near rivers and aquifers, developing buffer zones and landscaping to reduce erosion, establishing a state loan program to encourage local governments to purchase and relocate endangered trees and native vegetation, and adding $2 to the license plate fee to fund local alternative fuel projects administered by local governments.Post your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web