Mayor Villalobos Details McAllen's Economic Resilience and Border Advantages in Regional Spotlight
TL;DR
McAllen's collaborative regional approach and strong financial reserves create opportunities for businesses to leverage cross-border commerce and benefit from major investments like SpaceX.
Mayor Villalobos explains McAllen's strategy of regional coordination, disciplined financial management with tax reductions, and workforce development through local educational institutions.
McAllen's focus on safety, affordable living, and community events creates a better quality of life while fostering economic resilience that benefits the entire region.
McAllen's mayor serves unpaid as a full-time economic diplomat, transforming a 70-acre reservoir into mixed-use space while maintaining one of Texas' lowest costs of living.
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McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos detailed the city's economic stability, regional partnerships, and strategic border position during an interview on The Building Texas Show. Now serving his second term, Mayor Villalobos described his role as an unpaid but full-time commitment focused on stewardship and economic diplomacy, particularly across the U.S.-Mexico border. The conversation challenged national narratives about border cities by presenting data showing McAllen ranks among the safest cities in the United States, maintains one of Texas' lowest costs of living, and has become a top destination for small business growth, conventions, and cross-border commerce.
A central theme of the discussion was regional collaboration, with Villalobos explaining how cities across the Rio Grande Valley—including McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr, Mission, Brownsville, and Harlingen—have shifted from competition to coordination. This regional mindset, combined with strong partnerships with Hidalgo, Cameron, and Starr counties, has positioned South Texas to capitalize on major investments in sectors such as SpaceX operations, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and international trade. The mayor emphasized that McAllen functions as the economic engine of the Rio Grande Valley, supporting a regional workforce that transcends city boundaries.
Education and workforce development emerged as critical components of McAllen's strategy, with Villalobos pointing to institutions like UTRGV, Texas A&M–RGV, and South Texas College as pipelines for skilled talent in welding, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and technical trades. With one of Texas' youngest populations, McAllen is investing deliberately in human capital to support long-term economic growth. The city's disciplined financial strategy includes more than 130 days of working capital in reserves and consecutive property tax rate reductions.
Major development projects discussed during the interview include the redevelopment of a 70-acre reservoir into a mixed-use destination, expansion of the McAllen Convention Center, and the opening of a full cargo facility at the international bridge. These initiatives are designed to grow sales tax revenue, tourism, and global connectivity. Villalobos expressed optimism about McAllen's future, citing fiscal strength, strategic incentives for value-add manufacturing, and the city's unique position between two of the world's most powerful economies.
The episode also highlighted McAllen's community-driven quality of life, from large-scale holiday events like the South Pole of Texas and the McAllen Holiday Parade to year-round tourism and convention activity that continues to attract first-time visitors. Viewers can watch the full episode with Mayor Javier Villalobos on The Building Texas Show YouTube channel. The Building Texas Show is a statewide multimedia platform hosted by Justin McKenzie, focused on telling the stories of Texas communities, civic leaders, and economic builders shaping the state's future.
Curated from Newsworthy.ai
