El Cenizo, Rio Bravo mayors outline priorities for upcoming terms

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Leaders in two small Webb County communities are preparing for their next four years in office, focusing on emergency services and municipal infrastructure.

According to unofficial election results Tuesday, El Cenizo Mayor Carina Hernandez won another term, taking about 60% of the vote, 321 to 211, over challenger Juany “Jannie” Gomez. In Rio Bravo, Mayor Amanda Perez Aguero ran unopposed with 565 votes, which she said is the city’s first uncontested mayoral race in a long time.

Election results remain unofficial until canvassed by local officials.

Infrastructure and emergency care in El Cenizo

In El Cenizo, Hernandez said street improvements through Webb County top her agenda, with work potentially beginning within the next four weeks. Planned projects include paving on Rosales Street, a main road she said floods when it rains.

Hernandez also wants a community plaza at the city entrance for markets and events, and another park near the town’s only elementary school. However, securing emergency medical care remains an ongoing obstacle.

“We have one of the biggest issues, which is the ambulance,” Hernandez said. “And it is very, very difficult for us to be able to have that service like a city ambulance. But we do continue looking for options for our ambulance, for our fire department, which is based on just volunteers.”

Hernandez said the city council still must decide which projects come first and wants to hear from the community before finalizing plans.

Transparency and grant writing in Rio Bravo

In neighboring Rio Bravo, Aguero identified municipal transparency as a central goal for her administration.

“Right now, what I would like to focus on is transparency, because I know our residents have the... they have the right to know where their money is going to,” Aguero said.

Aguero said the city cannot afford a grant writer, so she plans to write grants herself. Her infrastructure priorities include finishing paving projects on the town’s remaining streets, and she said the fire department needs a lot of work.

When addressing whether Rio Bravo could acquire a dedicated municipal ambulance, Aguero was blunt about budget constraints.

“A very big lie from us public servants [would be] to say that we’re going to bring an ambulance to the city,” Aguero said.

For the two small towns, the next four years will test how far grants, county help and community pressure can go.

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