As 2026 begins, Jim Wells County leaders are setting their sights on growth and infrastructure improvements, with collaboration being the key to turning ambitious plans into reality.
KRIS 6 News spoke with Alice Mayor Cynthia Carrasco and Jim Wells County Judge Pedro "Pete" Trevino Jr. about their priorities for the year ahead. Both leaders emphasized that while opportunities exist, significant challenges must be addressed.
"We have to now look at our budget. Kinda figure out what's the most effective approach to get some of our streets and some of our infrastructure done without having the extra revenue," Carrasco said.
The mayor explained that the city is re-evaluating its priorities after a $10 million bond failed and some grant funding didn't come through. The city had hoped to use those funds for street repairs and ongoing drainage projects.
Now, Carrasco said the focus has shifted to attracting industry back to Alice to boost the local economy.
"They're very competitive. So it's going to take a group effort to try and figure out how can we get this and attract those individuals to Alice, Texas," Carrasco said.
County Judge Trevino shares this economic development focus.
"We want to do everything we can to bring in new money and to expand our tax base. Our sales tax have been pretty good," Trevino said.
He noted that several multi-million-dollar projects are currently in progress, including the Tecolote Water Project and the San Fernando Creek Drainage Project, which will require funding in the coming years.
For Mayor Carrasco, community involvement is crucial to economic development efforts. She emphasized the importance of positive messaging about Alice on social media platforms.
"Keep talking about Alice. You know - positive," Carrasco said. "When posts are posted on Facebook. What we have to offer. What good we've done."
Both leaders stressed that image matters and industries pay attention to what they see online about potential locations.
"The biggest accomplishment is that we're all going in one direction now. And when we're going in one direction that means that we all see the light in the tunnel," Trevino said.
Officials say they'll be measuring progress throughout the year with a focus on transparency and results that residents can see.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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