KRGV.com

HIDALGO COUNTY - We're making sure your county government spent your tax dollars as they promised. Hidalgo County leaders claimed to have fixed flooding problems south of Mercedes, a problem we showed you back in 2010.

The county back then was pointing fingers in all directions. Last year, they promised a change. We held them to that promise.

Ominous clouds would be the precursor to a flooding nightmare. If this were only a few months back, the rain would flood out Anastacio Martinez's family. His neighbors would have stayed soaked for days.

"I believe so. It's working really nice. It's beautiful," says Martinez

Randy Longoria fought for his neighborhood. He called 5 On Your Side for answers. The county promised they did the work. We checked it out ourselves.

After a slow, steady rain like there has been this week last year, water came up almost to to one's knees. This year, things are a lot different. Not everyone is sold.

"They said they were going to put concrete right there. ... They haven't done that. All I told them was to put some dirt right here, you know, so the dirt doesn't start running through here," says Martinez.

The dirt isn't the only worry. The grate is too small for a hand or common litter. Martinez thinks it's not small enough.

"The little kids, I've run them off already. They come over here and play around. I run them out because they may stick their leg in there," says Martinez.

Martinez wants more work done.

"That has got to be fixed because some kids are going to come over here and hurt themselves," says Martinez.

County workers admit the community isn't ready to weather every storm yet. Precinct 1 Commissioner Joel Quintanilla says the job will take another 90 days. It's already cost taxpayers about $250,000.