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Edinburg mayor unveils $275 million capital plan, pledges independent water source by decade's end
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Summary
Mayor Omar Ochoa announced a $275 million capital improvement plan to upgrade sewer and drainage, expand wastewater capacity and pursue an independent brackish‑water supply “by the end of this decade,” saying the work will protect neighborhoods and sustain growth.
Mayor Omar Ochoa onstage at Edinburg’s 2026 State of the City outlined a $275 million capital improvement program that he said will upgrade sewer and drainage systems, expand major arterial capacity and invest in neighborhoods long left behind.
"Over the next 4 years, the City of Edinburg will execute a life‑breathing $275,000,000 capital improvement plan," Ochoa said, saying the effort will include sewer upgrades, drainage relief and road expansions to support the city’s rapid growth.
The mayor framed water security as a central goal. "By the end of this decade, Edinburg will secure an alternate independent water source," he said, announcing early steps toward a brackish‑water treatment plant and plans for a new wastewater treatment plant in North Edinburg.
Key capital items Ochoa cited included a $33,000,000 expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which he said will raise capacity to about 13.5 million gallons per day, and work launched on Chapin pumps tied to a Texas General Land Office grant. He said the Chapin Pumps rehabilitation project (described in the address as a $1,400,000 project) will expand detention capacity and improve stormwater management across more than 600 acres.
The mayor sought to reassure residents about cost and tax impact, saying the investments will be made while keeping Edinburg’s property tax rate at its lowest level since 1991 and pointing to a roughly $28,000,000 reserve (about 30% of operating budget) as underwriting the plan.
City officials presented the package as an equity effort, with targeted investments in East Edinburg neighborhoods including Fayetteville, Monte Cristo, Chapin and Trenton and new green‑space construction on Veterans Boulevard where no city parks currently exist.
The plan does not include project schedules or bonding details in the address. City staff said follow‑up materials including a digital annual report are available via the mayor’s office for residents seeking line‑item schedules or financing details.
