In accordance with House Rules, and to promote oversight, transparency and accountability, this web page contains the disclosure materials relating to projects that Congressman Gonzalez has submitted on behalf of a local sponsor to either the House Committee on Appropriations or any other House Committees requiring disclosures.
Community Project Funding Requests
Congressman Vicente Gonzalez has submitted funding requests for important community projects in the 34th District of Texas to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2025 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments are permitted to receive funding.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Fiscal Year 2025 Community Project Funding
[Agriculture, Rural Development ]
Project Name:La Villa Acquisition of Fire Truck and Fire Fighting Equipment
Amount Requested: $1,165,000
Recipient: City of La Villa, 916 S. Mike Chapa Drive, La Villa, Texas 78562
Explanation: This project will purchase a new fire pumper truck and auxiliary firefighting equipment as recommended and required by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. The new truck and equipment will enable the city’s fire department to meet the fire protection needs of the community and its service area.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
[Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Science, and Related Agencies]
Project Name: Cameron County Sheriff’s Border Shield
Amount Requested: $930,000
Recipient: Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, 7300 Old Alice Road, Olmito, Texas 78575
Explanation: This project will provide schools, in coordination with Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, to advance surveillance and security equipment for Phase 2 of Operation Border Shield.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
[Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies]
Project Name: San Benito Wastewater Treatment Plant Water Tank No. 2 Phase 2
Amount Requested: $1,554,332
Recipient: City of San Benito, 1315 Turner Street, San Benito, Texas 78586
Explanation: This project will replace an existing elevated storage tank with a new 1.0 MG ground storage tank, a critical element of the potable water utility system that will help City of San Benito move forward toward compliance with the minimum potable water storage capacity required by TCEQ.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
[Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies]
Project Name: Willacy County Community Resiliency Program
Amount Requested: $1,200,000
Recipient: Willacy County, 576 West Main, Room #152, Raymondville, Texas 78580
Explanation: This project will provide the County a multi-purpose venue to meet the day-to-day needs of its residents. It will also serve as a staging area and command center in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
Member's Signed CertificationLetter
Project Name: Donna Multi-purpose Sports Complex
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Recipient: City of Donna, 307 South 12th Street Donna, Texas 78537
Explanation: This project will be used to support the infrastructure needed for a multi-purpose sports complex for the City of Donna and residents of nearby communities.Currently, there are no multi-field parks or walking trails in the city or surrounding communities.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: City of Mercedes Expansion of Storm Sewer System
Amount Requested: $1,264,832.15
Recipient: City of Mercedes, 400 South Ohio Avenue, Mercedes, Texas 78570
Explanation: This project will allow the City of Mercedes to complete improvements to several stormwater segments designed to increase the capacity and reliability of the Mercedes’ stormwater system city wide.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: La Bonita Pump Station & Drainage Improvements
Amount Requested: $1,987,680
Recipient: City of La Feria, 115 E. Commercial Drive., La Feria, Texas 78579
Explanation: This project will install a new Storm Sewer Pump Station along Avenue C, to pump stormwater from La Bonita neighborhood. This water will be pumped south into 1,030 linear feet of new 60" storm sewer pipe along an existing irrigation canal parallel to Willow Street and connecting to an existing 60” discharge outfall structure.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: City of Harlingen Animal Shelter
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
Recipient: City of Harlingen, 118 E Tyler Avenue, Harlingen, Texas 78550.
Explanation: The funding would be used to construct a new 15,000-square-foot animal shelter facility in Harlingen, Texas. The city is experiencing severe stray animal overpopulation, which is a nuisance and a vector for diseases. The new shelter will be better equipped to serve the city's current and future needs.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: Harlingen High School South Renovation
Amount Requested: $1,400,000
Recipient: Harlingen CISD, 407 N. 77 Sunshine Strip, Harlingen, TX 78550
Explanation: This project will enable the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District to complete comprehensive renovation of classrooms and the replacement of hallway lighting and ceiling fixtures at Harlingen High School South, addressing long-overdue updates at the second largest high school in the City of Harlingen.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: Combes Multipurpose Training Center
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Recipient: City of Combes, 21626 Hand Road, Combes, Texas 78552.
Explanation: This to restore and repurpose the Old City Hall building into a multipurpose training center in Combes. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will provide facilities for workforce training, business conferences, employment information and training, computer literacy classes for youth and senior residents, and serve as a short-term business incubator. There is currently no facility of this kind, or one that can provide a similar space in Combes
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: Baffin Bay Education, Safety and Ecotourism Boat Ramp and Fishing Pier
Amount Requested: $949,986.24
Recipient: Kleberg County, 700 E. Kleberg Avenue, Kingsville, Texas 78363
Explanation: This project will construct a single lane boat ramp [145 square yards (yd2)] with breakwater improvements, upgrade existing fishing piers, improve the jetty, and repair and stabilize the parking lot at Baffin Bay. This project will also mitigate shoreline erosion and stabilize the pier, jetty, and parking lot to ensure ease of access for local law enforcement, academic and research institutions, and recreation and ecotourism in Kleberg County and the Coastal Bend Region.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name:Raymondville City Wide Park Improvement Plan
Amount Requested: $965,467
Recipient: City of Raymondville, 142 S. 7th Street, Raymondville, Texas 78580.
Explanation: This project will renovate and enhance the safety of multiple parks as part of the city of Raymondville’s city wide park improvement plan.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: Combes Expressway Crossing Improvements Projects
Amount Requested: $1,100,000
Recipient: Cameron County Drainage District 5, 221 E. Van Buren Avenue, Suite 4 Harlingen, TX 78550
Explanation: This project will replace the existing 24” drainage pipe with three 30” culverts under the expressway. Upgrading the existing 24” drainage pipe that runs underneath the expressway and replacing it with the three 30” culvert will significantly increase the capacity of this drainage system to carry a greater volume of storm water.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: Conversion of Lateral 15 from Open Canal to a Pipeline
Amount Requested: $1,133,596
Recipient: Cameron County Irrigation District No. 2, 26041 FM 510, San Benito, Texas 78586
Explanation: This project will convert approximately 5,207 linear feet of unlined open canal segment of Lateral “15” to underground pipeline.This will help the irrigation district conserve water, reduce operating, fuel, and maintenance costs, and improve the reliability and timeliness of water deliveries to local agriculture producers.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
Project Name: Project Phoenix
Amount Requested: 938,500
Recipient: City of Brownsville, 1001 E. Elizabeth Street, #234, Brownsville, Texas, 78520
Explanation: This project willrenovate the city's Downtown Recreation Center. Rain events cause leaks that damage building equipment and its structural integrity. The prolonged exposure of this water damage has also created a health hazard of mold to the community and staff. This center will provide critical social services to residents of all ages in an economically disadvantaged area.
Member's Signed Certification Letter
