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Cameron Co. Leaders Seek Funding for New Flood Control District

4 years 7 months 3 weeks ago Wednesday, July 31 2019 Jul 31, 2019 July 31, 2019 9:41 PM July 31, 2019 in News - Local

BROWNSVILLE – Flood victims are still looking for answers as Cameron County decides on how to fund their new flood control district.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino and Commissioner Gus Ruiz were sworn in to oversee the flood control district Monday.

Trevino tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS they're trying to get a property tax levy on the November ballot to start generating revenue.

Flood victims we spoke to say they're not interested.

One of the flood victims, Ignacia Perez has lived in the area for 30 years.

She says she has more than $15,000 worth of repairs and received less than $300 from FEMA to recover.

Now the county wants to collect additional property tax to keep this from happening again.

Trevino says it's too early to tell exactly what needs to be fixed through the new district and how much it will cost.

“This is not a problem that is going to be addressed or fixed overnight. I want to be clear that this will not be fixed by the next storm. It's not going to be," he says.

He says they're also looking at temporary fixes for areas, such as Perez's that don't have drainage at all.

"There are potential short term solutions setting up permanent pump stations at strategic locations that we know are flood prone,” says Trevino.

As for bigger long term projects, such as additional connections to the floodway, Trevino says they don't have a scope on them right now.

Perez is still looking to rebuild as soon as she finds the means.

Residents can find a map showing what areas are covered by drainage districts in Cameron County and what areas are not.

For more information watch the video above.

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