City of Laredo Heads To Austin for Bi-Annual Advocacy Trip
Written by admin, Jan 21, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy Xochitl Mora,
Laredo, TX— It’s time once again for the bi-annual trip to Austin, where city leaders converge on the state’s Capitol to make sure that city issues are heard. This year, the City of Laredo Delegation will depart on Sunday, January 23, 2011 and will return on Thursday, January 27, 2011. “Laredo is the 10th largest city in Texas, and one of its most vital border communities,” said City of Laredo Mayor Raul G. Salinas. “This trip serves to remind our state elected officials of the pressing needs for our community.”
Assisted by the City of Laredo’s state legislative consultant, Andrea McWilliams & Associates, delegates meet with various legislators and agencies that govern the issues which most impact Laredo, including water quality, health, and of course, homeland security. The contacts made by this trip will impact Laredo now and in the future; securing and enhancing the long-standing working relationship already established between Laredo and the state government.
“Because our state legislative body meets only once every two years, it is imperative that we travel to Austin to remind folks of who we are, meet any newly elected or appointed officials and remind them of the importance of Laredo to the great state of Texas,” said City Manager Carlos Villarreal.
Highlights of the trip include meetings with: Secretary of the State Hope Andrade; Texas Director of Homeland Security Steve McCraw; Department of State Health Services Commissioner David Lakey; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Commissioner Buddy Garcia; Texas Department of Transportation Director Amadeo Saenz and the Texas Water Development Board, to name a few. Also scheduled are meetings with Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair of International Relations & Trade Committee; Senator Tommy Williams, Chair of Transportation & Homeland Security Committee; and Representative Veronica Gonzales, Chair of Border & International Affairs Committee.
Of course, no trip would be complete without meetings with Laredo’s own elected-officials, including Representative Richard Peña Raymond and Representative Ryan Guillen, who are also sponsoring a joint resolution on Monday to declare the day “Laredo Day in Austin” and Senator Judith Zaffirini, who will be recognizing the Laredo delegation, on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday. Finally, the trip wraps up with the annual Laredo Day Reception, on Wednesday night, where all state elected officials, directors and staff members stop by to mingle once more with City leaders in a more social atmosphere.
“Having the city officials here in Austin, meeting with legislators and other state agencies and advocating on behalf of the city’s most pressing issues is very important for the citizens of Laredo, because that means Laredo can push for more state funds allocation, allowing for local tax dollars to be used for other local needs,” said Representative Raymond, D-Laredo.
Also traveling to Austin will be the Martin High School Los Tigres Mariachi Band, who will perform in the rotunda of the Capitol on Monday.
