Help us tell the Cameron County Commissioners (again) NO tax break giveaways for LNG!

 On December 19, 2023 the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court voted unanimously to consider entering into an agreement to give huge tax breaks to Texas LNG, in spite of numerous vocal and written comments in opposition!

We need your help. It’s time we tell them (again) NO tax break giveaways for LNG!  

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SAVE THE DATE:  

The next meeting of the Cameron County Commissioners Court is January 2, 2024, 9:30 a.m.  Please plan to attend and join your community in making a strong showing AGAINST tax abatements to multi-trillion dollar fossil fuel corporations. They have already given Rio Grande LNG $300 MILLION in abatements.  

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HOW TO COMMENT:

•  Email your Public Comment Registration Form: https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Public-Comment-Registration-Form-for-Commissioners-Court-Meetings.pdf to publiccomment@co.cameron.tx.us.  

There are two options at the bottom of the form (you will need to select one): 

Either:

□ I wish to address the County Judge and County Commission [THREE (3) MINUTE TIME LIMIT]

Or: 

□ I DO NOT wish to address the County Judge and Commission, but do wish to register my opinion.

IF YOU WISH TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY COMMISSION:

Specify whether your comment will be an in person comment or a video conference comment PRIOR to 8:45 am on January 2, 2024 by emailing publiccomment@co.cameron.tx.us along with your Registration Form.  So DO IT NOW!   Then, show up on January 2, 2024 no later than 9:15 a.m. at the Cameron County Courthouse, 2nd floor, 1100 East Monroe St., Brownsville, TX, or if making a video conference comment, be at your device no later than 9:15 a.m. with audio and video enabled.  The meeting can be accessed by ZOOM (meeting id and passcode required) To locate the Meeting ID and Passcodes for Zoom attendance, you can find them on the Commissioners’ Court Agendas here: https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/commissioners-court-agendas/. Select the January 2, 2024 agenda which will be posted a few days prior to the meeting. 

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IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY COMMISSION BUT WANT YOUR COMMENT REGISTERED:

Remember, if you are unable to attend either in person or video conference, you can still have your comments registered by emailing the https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Public-Comment-Registration-Form-for-Commissioners-Court-Meetings.pdf to publiccomment@co.cameron.tx.us.  Tag the subject line as “PUBLIC COMMENT IN OPPOSITION TO TAX ABATEMENTS FOR TEXAS LNG” and select the “□ I DO NOT wish to address the County Judge and Commission, but do wish to register my opinion.” at the bottom of the form. 

TO WATCH THE MEETING VIA INTERNET:  https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/commissioners-court-agendas/ then click Watch Commissioners’ Court Room Meetings. 

WHO IS OUR CAMERON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ COURT?

COMMISSIONERS’ COURT

County Judge, Eddie Treviño, Jr. 

Email: etrevino@co.cameron.tx.us

Commissioner Pct. 1, Sofia C. Benavides  

Email: sofia.benavides@co.cameron.tx.us

Commissioner Pct. 2, Joey Lopez 

Email: joey.lopez@co.cameron.tx.us

Commissioner Pct. 3, David A. Garza 

Email: dagarza@co.cameron.tx.us

Commissioner Pct. 4, Gus Ruiz

Email: gus.ruiz@co.cameron.tx.us

WHAT TO COMMENT: 

Talking points for comment.   Please add your own for more impact:

1.    Tax abatements to Texas LNG are not an incentive to keep them here. They decided on this location in 2014.  Their permit is specific to this particular environment and location. They cannot threaten to build elsewhere if tax abatements are not granted. They would have to apply for a NEW permit which would cause further delays. It has been 10 years since they were permitted for our Port.  Giving them tax incentives now is not fiscally prudent, nor beneficial to our growing community.

2.    The Point Isabel ISD voted against giving school tax abatements to Texas LNG last year, clearly sending a strong message from affected communities. Do not grant County tax abatements in deference to one of our school districts.  Listen to your constituents and do not consider, publish nor enter into any agreement with Texas LNG granting tax abatements.

3.    We are a poor county.  Taxes are rising year after year, rent is skyrocketing, housing prices are 40-50% over valued and climbing.  Giving tax abatements to trillion dollar corporations, that can absolutely afford to pay taxes, should not even be a consideration.  Subsidizing these multi-trillion dollar industries with taxpayer money is unconscionable.

4.    Per the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)  there are no air quality monitoring stations  in the vicinity of any  permitted LNG terminal site at our Port.  At the very least, the County  must demand these corporations pay to install air quality monitoring stations in Port Isabel, Laguna Vista, Los Fresnos, and Laguna Heights, preferably near our schools.  The cumulative impacts from Texas LNG and Rio Grande LNG, not to mention the additional heavy industrial companies targeting our Port, will directly impact air quality and will be felt in these communities due to the prevailing SSE winds.   If the corporations, or our County officials refuse, it is because they do not want us to know the toxic air we will be breathing.  Are you comfortable turning our communities into a cancer alley like so many industrialized fossil fuel coastline cities along Texas and Louisiana?  Without air quality monitoring stations, we won’t know what damage has affected our children until it’s too late.

5.    The argument that Rio Grande LNG was granted tax abatements is not an excuse to give Texas LNG the same consistent consideration.  To excerpt a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers… .”

6.    It appears suspicious that the County put this on their agenda for consent the week before Christmas, knowing full well people are distracted and busy. Is this an obvious attempt to suppress public comment? This item should have been tabled until Q1 when the public had resumed routine activities and could schedule time to be properly involved in the public comment process, especially in light of the numerous comments voicing strong opposition to abatements for Texas LNG.  Instead they voted to consider an agreement for tax abatements unanimously.  Tell them this was wrong!

Thank you for your continuous support.  Your letters and comments do add up and do make a difference.