BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Mayor John Cowen said he was uncomfortable with the compressed timeline surrounding Brownsville’s agreement with SpaceX but concluded the city risked losing as much as $220 million for regional water projects if commissioners delayed or rejected the proposal.
The City Commission approved the agreement during a special meeting Saturday after also voting to disannex approximately 444 acres of privately owned property near the city landfill. SpaceX had requested the boundary change for land intended to support operations closer to the Port of Brownsville.
Residents questioned why commissioners were required to act during a meeting that lasted about six hours. Cowen said he asked SpaceX to delay action until the commission’s regular Tuesday meeting.
“I did not feel comfortable with the pace here,” Cowen said. “We wanted to, at the very least, move this to Tuesday.”
According to Cowen, the company declined the delay and indicated its water-project offer would be withdrawn if the city did not act.
Cowen said the city did not own or transfer the property. He said the vacant land generated approximately $200 to $250 annually in city property taxes and that the owner could continue seeking removal from the city through another legal avenue even if commissioners voted against the request.
“If we were to vote no on a deannexation, they would still end up getting deannexed, and we would not be receiving the $220 million,” Cowen said.
The agreement calls for funding two projects intended to expand Brownsville’s water supply. One would reuse treated water that is currently discharged and could add about 8 million gallons per day. The other would expand and improve a desalination facility.
Cowen said the projects could approximately double available water supplies and reduce the city’s dependence on the Rio Grande. Critics have continued to raise questions about the short review period and the environmental consequences of SpaceX’s regional growth.
Sources:
Original report
City of Brownsville agreement announcement
