Residents press Harlingen commissioners on data-center plans as debate over travel-invitation policy continues

Public commenters used the Harlingen City Commission’s citizen-communication period to press officials on proposed data-center expansion near Valley International Airport and to question staff transparency around event invitations.

Robert Leftwich (District 2) criticized changes in meeting sign-in procedures and security and raised multiple concerns about local projects and staffing. He questioned a federal grant for Commerce Street, said an interim Waterworks director does not live in Harlingen and is “approaching $480,000 in salary” in the way he characterized compensation arrangements, and warned that a proposal to expand a data center could amount to involuntary annexation. “This is an involuntary annexation,” Leftwich said, urging the commission to address staffing and grant deadlines.

Isaac Amani Newman, co-founder of the For the People Alliance, asked whether the city had studied infrastructure impacts from large data centers and whether city leaders still “do not see a direct benefit” (a comment he said the mayor made on Feb. 12). Newman urged officials to remain accountable and said community groups will monitor the issue.

Ron Lozano repeated concerns about compensation and questioned procurement and contracting practices, including references to a middleman tied to data-center negotiations.

After public comment commissioners discussed item 10f, a study of policy and procedures governing elected-official attendance at events and out-of-town trips paid by the city or the EDC. Commissioner Cavazos Gomez sought clarity on how invitations are shared and whether the commission is notified when private or EDC-sponsored events could create a quorum. Several commissioners said invitations to statewide conferences (e.g., TML events) are routinely circulated; the city manager said staff normally distributes event notices and that separate private or EDC events are at the discretion of those organizers.

Commissioner Morales moved to make it city policy that the city manager email all commissioners about meetings and trips and post a disclaimer if a quorum might be present; legal counsel advised that a policy cannot be approved without written language before the commission. Counsel said the proper action would be to direct legal staff to draft a policy and return it for consideration. Morales withdrew the immediate motion and agreed to return with a written proposal or seek counsel to draft one.

Several residents’ claims about salaries, contracts and annexation were made as citizen assertions; the commission did not substantively resolve those claims at the meeting and no formal investigation or vote on those specific allegations occurred.