By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in conjunction with a street improvement project that will be partially funded by the federal government, the City of San Benito announced last week.
Leaders outlined the tentative location for the project’s start—the neighborhood encompassing Diaz, Carol, and Sombra streets.
Taxpayers will contribute $600,000 to the project, with the remaining funding coming from federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Leaders announced this during a press conference at the corner of Diaz and Robertson streets on Thursday, March 19.
San Benito City Manager Fred Sandoval delivered his presentation entirely in Spanish and stated that projects located in the “barrios” are just as important as those outside of them. Once Diaz is finished, Carol will be next, followed by Sombra, Sandoval said.
“These are the first of many more streets we’ll tackle this year. In 2025, we completed 17 streets and 24,000 linear feet, and it might not sound like a lot, but it’s a significant achievement,” Sandoval said about past CDBG projects. “We couldn’t do this without the hard work of our elected officials and city employees, whose hearts are where they should be — for their city.
Assistant City Manager Diana Garza stated after the ceremony that three more streets are planned for improvement with CDBG funds, and San Benito leaders aim to exceed the 17 roads finished last year.
“The groundbreaking symbolizes more than just the start of a construction project; it reflects our community’s longstanding commitment to improving the quality of life for every San Benito resident,” Garza said.
Garza told the NEWS that the CDBG is funding the following city streets: Diaz from Montezuma to Bravo, Carol from Hidalgo to Elva, Sombra from Zaragoza to Palm Boulevard, Avon Puente to Sombra, and from the frontage to Turner.
Among those who attended the late morning ceremony was a Public Works Department crew, which immediately began working on Diaz Street half an hour after the festivities. The department is headed by Director Edward Enriquez.
San Benito Mayor Ricardo “Rick” Guerra, who is seeking another term in this year’s election, is running against current Commissioner Pedro A. Galvan. The mayor said that both he and Galvan, while running past campaigns to get elected, heard from their citizens about concerns regarding inadequate street conditions.
“The people wanted the paving of the streets more than anything else,” Mayor Guerra said. “They came after us, and I think we have fulfilled the wishes of the people.”
The City of San Benito announced the groundbreaking a day early on its Facebook page. Some locals responded with a list of additional streets that also need improvements. Of more than 60 replies, streets like Juarez, North Milam, Woodward, Virginia, Forrest, and Purvis were mentioned, along with landmarks where San Benito roads are also located.
“San Benito may be small, but it’s still big, and we’re coming. Please understand that we’re coming,” said Mayor Guerra, referring to future street construction. “We can only do so many streets per year, and we do as much as we can.”
Mayor Pro Tem Thomas W. Goodman II referenced the annual Hog Waddle and noted similarities between taking pride in one’s street and its own character — like Charley Crockett, who recently headlined the festival as the musical performer.
“We are on the verge of seeing many of these things happen; if you attended the (concert), you would notice a sense of pride that we’re working to cultivate in our community. This means, yes, we need to take pride in our streets and everything else we do,” Mayor Pro Tem Goodman said. “These (street improvements) don’t happen overnight; it takes a lot of work, planning, effort, and money to get these things done, and we are working very hard to ensure our community grows so we have the income, the people, and the resources to make this happen.
The NEWS, at deadline, was still waiting for a master street list for this year.