Socorro outlines $20M in proposed projects and $59.3M in active grants; 2026 COs discussed

Adriana Rodarte, city manager for the City of Socorro, told the council at a special meeting that the city has about $20,000,000 in proposed capital projects for the coming fiscal year and manages nearly $59,300,000 in active grants.

Rodarte said the city received $8,500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, of which roughly $3,000,000 is planned to be spent this fiscal year. She listed multiple funding sources and awards the city is using or pursuing, including a Texas Water Development Board package (described as a $6,600,000 loan and a $3,400,000 grant), federal and state appropriations totaling about $4,310,000 available, and a Mellon Foundation award noted in the presentation with approximately $692,762 available for cultural and historic projects.

Rodarte identified flagship and pipeline projects: the Rio Vista campus (a $36,000,000 project with $4,480,000 currently secured), Passmore and Vineyard culvert/bridge replacement design (about $3,800,000), Ormsby/Barela infrastructure (about $3,000,000 pending funding), and a list of streets, sidewalks and drainage projects. She said the Rio Vista rehabilitation, museum, and Quonset hut projects are in progress, and multiple sidewalk phases and the Sparks Arroyo drainage improvement are underway or complete.

Rodarte also presented a potential list of projects that could be funded by a 2026 certificate of obligation issuance, including street overlays ($1,400,000), sidewalks ($1,400,000), creating a solid waste department (approximately $4,000,000), police and public works fleet replacements (about $509,250 and $540,000 respectively), engineering services ($1,500,000), local match funding ($4,600,000), park improvements ($2,300,000), and bridge expansion ($3,500,000). “Looking ahead, 2026 certificates of obligation will enable us to continue addressing priority infrastructure needs from roads, drainage, to public facilities, and community amenities,” she said.

Council members discussed the scope and sequencing of projects and asked staff whether they should pursue certificates of obligation now or be selective. Rodarte said the presentation was to seek council direction and that a financial analysis would be scheduled if the council indicated interest. Councilman Cesar Nevarez and others urged momentum, citing recent completed projects, while Councilman Alejandro Garcia requested that staff provide the project list with district references for council review.

Rodarte also highlighted the grants team’s growth: she said the city managed roughly $356,703 in grants in 2018 and now administers nearly $59.3 million. She recommended continuing aggressive grant-seeking and partnerships to maximize investment.

The council took no specific financing vote at the meeting. Staff requested direction about whether to proceed with a formal CO financing analysis; council members expressed interest in pursuing options but did not adopt a financing measure during the session.