HARLINGEN RESIDENTS: THIS IS YOUR MOMENT TO ASK QUESTIONS — BEFORE DECISIONS ARE LOCKED IN
📅 Regular City Commission Meeting
🗓 January 7, 2026
⏰ 5:30 PM
📍 118 E. Tyler Avenue, Harlingen, Texas 78550
If you live in Harlingen — or anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley — this meeting matters more than most people realize.
Right now, major decisions are being made that will shape our community for decades:
• Large-scale data centers
• Massive industrial projects
• Increased power and water demand
• Long-term infrastructure commitments
Many of these projects are already active. Some are shielded by Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). And once approvals are finalized, there is no undo button.
This meeting is not just another agenda item.
It is your opportunity to get clarity, demand transparency, and ask questions before impacts show up in your utility bills, traffic, water supply, and power reliability.
❓ QUESTIONS THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ASKING
⚡ Power & Grid Reliability
• How much electricity will new data centers and industrial projects require?
• Who gets priority during peak demand or grid emergencies — residents or industry?
• What protections exist against rolling blackouts during extreme heat?
• Who pays for grid upgrades: companies or taxpayers?
💧 Water Use
• How much water will these facilities consume daily and annually?
• Will they use drinking water or reclaimed water?
• What happens during drought conditions?
🏗️ Land Use & Scale
• Why is city-scale land being committed to single industrial projects?
• What zoning changes or variances were approved?
• Were residents notified before land was tied down?
🌎 Environmental & Health Impacts
• Were environmental impact studies completed — and will they be made public?
• What emissions or pollution risks come from backup generators and support systems?
• How will nearby neighborhoods be protected?
💰 Costs, Incentives & Jobs
• What tax abatements or incentives are being offered?
• How many permanent jobs remain after construction ends?
• What is the true cost per job when infrastructure upgrades are included?
🔒 Transparency & NDAs
• Why are so many projects hidden behind NDAs?
• At what point does the public get informed before decisions become irreversible?
• What information can be disclosed now?
🌍 Regional Impact
• How will these decisions affect the rest of the Rio Grande Valley?
• Have neighboring cities and utilities been consulted?
• What happens if multiple megaprojects come online at the same time?
This is not about being anti-growth.
This is about being pro-community, pro-transparency, and pro-accountability.
Silence doesn’t mean nothing is happening.
It usually means things are happening without public input.
👉 Show up.
👉 Listen carefully.
👉 Ask clear, direct questions.
Because once these projects are built, the impacts won’t be theoretical — they’ll be felt in homes, schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods across the RGV.
Clarity only comes before decisions are finalized — not after.
Also check out other Meetups in Harlingen, Health & Wellness events in Harlingen.
