By DIANTÉ MARIGNY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
Early voting for the May 3, 2025, General and Special Elections in Cameron County began on April 22 and runs through April 29.
On the ballot is the Laguna Madre Water District tax bond election, where voters will decide on a proposed tax bond to fund a seawater desalination plant’s construction, upgrades to the existing water treatment
infrastructure, and the installation of water purification systems. The project aims to produce five million gallons of potable water per day, addressing current and future water needs. A proposed tax bond measure of $59 million will fund the final phase of the desalination facility’s construction and related infrastructure.
If approved by voters, the bond will cover costs associated with building the facility. According to the Laguna Madre Water District’s website, the estimated impact on taxpayers is approximately $0.07 per $100 of
taxable property value. For example, a property valued at $200,000 would see an estimated annual increase of $140 in taxes.
Also on the ballot is the Port Isabel-San Benito Navigation District Election. Running for Commissioner Place 1 are Alejandro Guadalupe Leal, Janie G. Silva, and Duvie Alcozer Woods. For Place 2, the candidates
are Joe Martinez and Victor Eloy Rosas.
Two commissioner positions are up for election in the City of Port Isabel: Place 1 and Place 2.
Candidates for Commissioner Place 1 are Sandra Holland and James A. Galloway. Running for Commissioner Place 2 are Armando Rivera Jr. and Michelle Barreiro. Port Isabel Mayor Martin Cantu is unopposed.
Voters in Cameron County can also vote for or against Proposition A, which authorizes the renovation, planning, acquisition, development, construction, equipment, and expansion of a multipurpose arena and any
related infrastructure. According to the Cameron County website, it also authorizes the use of the existing hotel occupancy tax at the rate of two percent of the price paid for a room in a hotel located in Cameron
County, and authorizes the use of the existing short-term motor vehicle rental tax at a rate of five percent on the gross rental receipts from the rental of motor vehicles in Cameron County. It also imposes an admissions
tax at a rate not to exceed ten percent on the price of each ticket sold as admission to an event held at the Cameron County Arena Development Project, all this to finance the venue project. If approved, the maximum hotel occupancy tax rate imposed from all sources in Cameron County would be 17 percent of the price paid for a room in a hotel.
Early Voting for the Cameron County and the Laguna Madre Water District Special election runs from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. until April 29 at the SPI Community Center, 4501 Padre Blvd.
Early Voting for the Port Isabel-San Benito Navigation District General Election runs from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. until April 29 at 250 Industrial Drive in Port Isabel. Election Day is Saturday, May 3.