Guest Article submitted by Diana Olvedo-Karau
Top Picture by Diana Olvedo-Karau
01-06-25
2024 has come to an end and as a community advocate, I am reflecting on politics in Uvalde County and how it will affect us into 2025. Take time to read these thoughts and remember, you have to look beyond the obvious.
2024 was a presidential election year and in Uvalde County every person that ran for a county office, except maybe one individual, ran on the Republican ticket; after being lifelong Democrats. And almost every individual that ran for an elected office related to law-enforcement, and was present at the Robb School mass shooting, was elected to office.
City politics had many ups and downs in 2024 beginning with Cody Smith winning the mayor’s race in November 2023 and resigning in April 2024, after defeating Kimberly Rubio, the mother of a child killed in the Robb School massacre. This placed the city council in a position of appointing Lalo Zamora as mayor pro tem, until a runoff election for the mayor’s position had Zamora defeated by Councilman Hector Luevano, a retired DPS officer.
As happens almost every year, property taxes went up again. In the middle of all this, the Uvalde CISD petitioned the voters for an increased tax rate to help offset a $2 million deficit and Uvalde County commissioners approved a request by the Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department to petition the voters for the creation of an Emergency Service District, which would create another taxing entity. Voters said no to more taxes and defeated both propositions in the November 2024 election.
The City of Uvalde closed out the year by considering a petition by the Carper Capt family and other investors for the creation of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) to develop land surrounding the new Legacy Elementary School. The Capt’s donated the land for the new school, which provided a significant tax break for them and also created a burden for the City of Uvalde on how to deal with inadequate streets and infrastructure to handle expected increased traffic and growth in the area. So the perceived solution by too many on the city council is approving the TIRZ to pay for burdens created by accepting the donated land for the new school; thus allowing the Capt’s to develop the land for a profit. In a nutshell the Capt/investors get to use public funds for private gain.
2025 will be an interesting year to watch in local politics, with the big question being, will Bill Mitchell run for reelection after being County Judge since 1987? There are plenty of people waiting in the wings hoping to take his place; but only if and when Mitchell decides to step down.
Good old boy, status quo politics was alive and well in Uvalde County and looking to transition smoothly into 2025. Will Uvaldeans continue to sit back and do nothing to change this reality? I for one will continue to work towards change because it’s the only right thing to do. What about you?
