Port advisory committee reviews city council-approved toll increase plan trimmed to three years starting Jan. 2027

City council action to revise a proposed bridge toll-rate increase drew scrutiny from Port Laredo’s Port of Entry advisory committee at its June meeting. Staff said the council approved cutting the originally proposed five-year phase-in to a three-year schedule that begins in January 2027 and includes annual increases thereafter before switching to a CPI-or-4% adjustment mechanism in 2030.

Bridge staff outlined the schedule: noncommercial vehicles will see a $0.50 per-axle increase in January 2027 (current rate $1.75), followed by additional $0.25 steps in later years for pedestrians and $0.50 steps for commercial vehicles (current $4.75 per axle) through 2029. Staff said the CPI-or-4% clause would apply beginning in 2030 and that budget or finance will confirm whether the CPI or the 4% floor is used at that time.

Committee members and industry representatives repeatedly emphasized that advisory members had not received sufficient hard data or workshops before the council vote. "We never have the hard data to do our self analysis and present better communication to the city councils," one member said, urging more pre-decision workshops so the committee and stakeholders can provide informed recommendations.

The Laredo Motor Carriers Association representative said the group opposed the increase but thanked staff for engaging stakeholders. "It's our job to keep our members informed and engaged," the representative told the committee, noting the association’s concerns about economic pressure on carriers.

Staff explained the financing context: bond proceeds are expected to support expansions and will be structured as draw-as-needed financings, and debt-service coverage projections were presented by the investment adviser to city budget staff. Staff told the committee that if the jurisdiction later secures federal grants, the size of future financings could be reduced.

Members requested that staff provide clearer, line-by-line financial exhibits and convene additional workshops so the advisory committee and industry can review revenue projections, debt-service thresholds, and contingency plans before the first increase in January 2027. The committee set the item for continued oversight and asked staff to post supporting presentations and the executed ordinance to the city website once available.