The city of Harlingen has been downgraded from number 3 to number 6 by the 2010 census bureau.
Thanks to the Harlingen Old Guard, Old Clique (keep the city stagnant) Red Liners.
176,869 city of Brownsville.
132,225 city of McAllen.
72,424 city of Edinburg.
68,990 city of Mission.
68, 231 city of Pharr.
65,289 city of Harlingen.
Now is the time to get started to regain our number 3 position and stay there.
Start immediately to annex the failed Juarez, La Palma & the Country Club Estates subdivisions.
Revive the Primera annexation.
Annex Combes if possible.
Complete the Southwest annexation project.
Fight and win the West Harlingen de-annexation law suit, the hell with Chuck Lee.
If we can accomplish all these in the next 5-10 years we should be in good shape to regain our number 3 position.
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Wow, all of that just to be number 3. Impressive.
Do you realize the cost of Annexing Primera, La Palma, and Combes, the infra-structure is outrageous. I believe they did a study, and it wasn’t cost effective. The money coming in from substandard housing, wasn’t even close.
Sewer lines, fire lines, hydrants, street maintenance, more equipment, larger treatment plants, etc.
I don’t know who thought of this article, but it was looked on, during the Craig Lonnon Administration.
Tax money, isn’t enough to fix all the problems, more police, more fire statiions more personnel. Some help to the city attorneym, more staffing at city hall, more elected officials, and on and on.
It sounds good on theory, but it is not practical. As for Chuck Lee, he is going to loose. Cities have too much power.
I don’t want to sound pessimstic, but we might be behind Weslaco in 9 more years, we might even be behind Mercedes. Unless things change, but one thing is obvious, retail is not the answer, or property taxes either.
I am very confussed. Did not Harlingen become the 3rd city in the valley under the old guard. And now that we have the “new guard” did we not fall.
It seems that you always blame and never are fair about what is really going on. A great example of this is BPS. You complain that the old guard is against growth and then as soon as they do something to bring in growth you are against that growth. I wish that all people were for the growth of Harlingen in a positive way. The way gloating goes on when any of the “old guard’ has trouble makes it seem way too personal. Please use this site for positive rather than petty problems.
IMHO this site would explode beyond belief if you were able to do this and it would not have to be you bragging about how many people come to your site, everyone would come here for honest news about Harlingen not personal petty attacks. This is the way I see it and I have talked to many people around Harlingen that feel the same way. Good luck to you and your blog.
Get your facts straight,
Here are the census figures:
65, 289 2010
57,554 2,000
48, 735 1990
It did not grow thanks to (keep the city stagnant) old guard.
The new guard has only been around 1-2 years.
It is hoped that BPS makes it and brings changes to Harlingen.
I’m not against growth.
I’m pro growth all the way.
My blog has grown in leaps and bounds in 17 months.
It will continue to grow in new record numbers.
Thanks for your comments.
Keep coming back.
My Son graduated from UT Austin.
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR MISINFORMED ATTACKS!
I did not inflate the population figures for the city of Harlingen for the last 4 years, That was done by Planning and Zoning Head Paul Menzies, Mayor Chris Boswell, and city managers Craig Lonon and Gabe Gonzales.
From what I understand the city by law has to have an official population number that they work with for grants, loans, and other official city purposes. The city began to inflate those figures even before the annexation of the west side of Harlingen that became law on Nov 19th, 2008.
In an article from Jan 22, 2009 below you can see that the city was fudging the numbers. First of all Paul Menzies claims that the city increased it’s population 5,591 in one year after the Nov 2008 annexation. He attributes 1800 of that increase to new residents moving into Harlingen and 3,791 to that specific 2008 annexation.
I have been to every house in the annexed area 3-5 times in the last 2 years and I can tell you WITH A CERTAINTY that no way that many people were annexed. This house of cards began to collapse when the official 2010 census figures started to come out. Menzies abandoned his post as head of P and Z, Lonon was fired, Gonzales was busted back to Asst City manager and Boswell is still talking trash.
These city officials falsified and concocted these phoney numbers and now they have been caught in a lie. They promoted the figure of 79,000 inhabitants of Harlingen right up to the end. The real figure according to the 2010 census is closer to 65,000. So who is the deceivers?
HERE IS THE VMS ARTICLE FROM THAT TIME PERIOD! ONLY ONE ANNEXATION OCCURRED DURING 2008.
City closes in on 75,000 population
January 22, 2009 10:16 PM
By ALLEN ESSEX/Valley Morning Star
HARLINGEN – The city’s population gained nearly 6,000 people in the past year, bringing it close to 75,000.
In one year, the population jumped from 69,359 to 74,950, according to a city staff estimate presented by Paul Menzies, director of planning and development.
Most of the population growth is attributed to annexation.
“We’ve been adding 1,600 to 1,800 a year, not counting any boundary changes,” Menzies said Thursday.
Harlingen’s population was 57,564 in the 2000 U.S. Census, Menzies said during Wednesday’s City Commission meeting.
Annexations on the west side of the city added the most population during the last year. Additional annexations are planned in the spring, including the Juarez and Las Palmas colonias on the west side, Menzies said.
Except for scheduled western annexations and more planned on the southwest side, the only area where Harlingen will be able to grow will be to the north, Menzies said.
However, if the city grows around Combes and Primera, it would be difficult to provide city services in areas north of those towns, he said.
HERE IS THE OFFICIAL MINUTES OF THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING WHERE MENZIES FALSIFIES THE POPULATION FIGURES. NOTE THIS IS TWO YEARS AGO!
Regular Harlingen City Commission Meeting
January 21, 2009
OFFICIAL POPULATION ESTIMATED FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN AS
OF JANUARY 1, 2009 ADOPTED
Paul Menzies explained that based on recent population trends and annexations
completed in 2008, staff estimates the City’s January 1, 2009 population to be 74,950.
This would be a population estimate to be used in all City conducted business for the 2009 calendar year.
Motion to approve population estimate: Larry Galbreath
Second: Robert Farris
The motion carried unanimously.
Boswell was banking on the west side annexations to inflate the population numbers. Most recently 2 of the 3 west side annexations failed because of inept management and the 3rd one is in the federal court system due to incompetance in the Planning and Zoning Department ran by Menzies.
I think you could say that Boswell, Lonon, Gonzales, and Menzies conspired to inflate the population numbers to get certain federal and state grants and loans. And to seduce companies thru these lies to come to Harlingen to set up business.
The city of Harlingen by law is required to post the population figures on the city map and keep it updated. As of December 23, 2010, It now reads: CITY LIMITS MAP, EST. POPULATION 74,950. Drive around town and look at the city population signs. I read one on Bus. 83 that says I think, Pop. 74, 495. What a bunch of liars and deceivers.
Menzies has bailed out of P and Z and now takes care of the city parks swing sets. Boswell is still chugging along with one bluff after another, like when he claimed the unemployment rate in Harlingen was less than 8% when it was really hovering over 10% and now 12%. His motto is “fake it ’til ya make it”
longhorn, I’m a UT grad too, and I walk around Harlingen with my eyes open. Your comments about the new guard is ridiculous since the new commission just got started. They have cleaned up and cleaned out as they saw fit and we support them for it. Even if they did vote to support Bass Pro.
I agree with you though, it is time we put the old guard out to pasture and work towards the Harlingen we want to see. The city on the hill. We can and will do it, despite or with, that is up to you and they. Because a rising tide lifts ALL boats.
In the weeks, months and days ahead we shall begin developing a comprehensive growth plan for Harlingen. The vision for going forward belongs to the young, the well educated, to those with dreams and hopes of a better community. To get there we need honesty, openness, integrity and some sense of community. We need to remove those helping only themselves and recognise reasonable and rationale self interest. Or else no one will do anything of substance and lasting value,
Despair not my friends, we have overcome. A better Harlingen. Si se puede.
Well written Mr. Benton. However, there are many of you who are misinformed, concerning Chuck Lee. He, too, is well educated and knowledgeable.
The City TOOK the west side, illegally, and many citizens have had their civil rights violated due to the illegal process the city participated in. The numbers have been inflated and counted, when the de-annexation process is awaiting trial!
Just because the city of Harlingen “wanted something,” does not give them the right to “take it,” illegally!