Puerto Verde Port Authority District Legislation Filed by State Rep. Eddie Morales
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
Texas State Representative Heriberto “Eddie” Morales (D-74) of Eagle Pass, Texas has filed a proposed legislative bill, House Bill 74, in the 89th Texas Legislature in Austin, Texas on Monday, March 31, 2024, seeking to establish and create a new governmental entity under the name of Puerto Verde Port Authority District that would grant authority to issue bonds, impose assessments, fees, levy taxes, have authority for eminent domain, have authority to establish a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, and other powers under the Texas Constitution and laws.
According to the Legislative Library Reference of Texas, the deadline to file a proposed legislative bill in the 89th Texas Legislature was March 14, 2025; however, Morales previously filed a Notice of Intent to Introduce Legislation with the Maverick County Clerk’s Office of Sara Montemayor on February 5, 2025. It is unknown if this Notice of Intent to Introduce Legislation filed February 5, 2025 exempts the alleged late-filing by State Representative Eddie Morales of his House Bill 74 on March 31, 2025—past the March 14, 2025 filing deadline.
Nonetheless, Morales’s proposed House Bill 74 seeks to grant Puerto Verde Port Authority District all encompassing powers granted to a governmental entity under the Texas Constitution, Texas Water Code, and the Texas Local Government Code.
The boundary limits of the proposed Puerto Verde Port Authority District is composed of four tracts of real property totaling 3,322.57 acres in Maverick County, Texas. The properties are generally located in the northern portion of the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas, east of the intersection of U.S. Highway 277 and Maverick Industrial Park Road; and west-northwest and southeast of County Road 305.
According to Morales’s House Bill 74, the “creation of the district is necessary to promote, development encourage, and maintain employment, commerce, transportation, housing, tourism, recreation, the arts, entertainment, economic development, safety, and the public welfare in the district.”
The proposed House Bill 74 adds that the district will provide needed funding for the district to preserve, maintain, and enhance the economic health and vitality of the district territory as a community and business center.
The proposed HB 74 further states that the district will not act as the agent or instrumentality of any private interest even though the district will benefit many private interests as well as the public.”
Morales’s HB 74 provides that the “all or any part of the district is eligible to be included in a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ0…, or a tax abatement reinvestment zone….”
HB 74 provides that the district shall be governed by a Board of Directors of five members elected voting directors who serve as staggered terms of four years; and provides that the initial Board of Directors shall be Ruben Garibay, David Higgerson, Bobby Babcock, Rob Russell, and Benito Martinez, III.” The Maverick County Commissioners Court may appoint two persons who are officials of or employed by the county to serve as non-voting ex-officio directors for a term of four years.”
Morales has been an ardent supporter of the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project in Eagle Pass, Texas, just outside the city limits in Seco Mines and Hopedale areas, which is owned by a private investment group named Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC who has investors from both the United States and Mexico. The Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project is composed of two international bridges to be constructed north of the Eagle Pass city limits, including a commercial freight vehicle bridge called Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge and a railroad bridge and line called Green Eagle Railroad and Line.
Maverick County sponsored the private Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project through Maverick County Commissioners Court led by County Judge Ramsey English Cantu by submitting and obtaining a United States Presidential Permit in May 2024 to develop and construct the two international bridges of Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge and the Green Eagle Railroad and Line. Maverick County Commissioners Court essentially assigned and conveyed their long held legal interest and goal of a Maverick County-owned bridge to raise enterprise revenues for the benefit of the taxpayers to the private investment firm of Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC under the helm of Ruben Garibay.
If the proposed Puerto Verde Port Authority District is approved and passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, the new governmental entity controlled by the private investment group may have access to use and issue governmental bonds, assess taxes, fees, and assessments to finance the development and construction of the project as well as the multi-use real estate development proposed within the 3,322.57 acres. In addition, the new entity may provide for a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) or tax abatements to the private investors to develop and construct the huge multi-use real estate development north of the City of Eagle Pass and extending to the Radar Base within the county.
During public hearings held in April 2024 by the U. S. Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis regarding the Environmental Impact Statement of the proposed two international bridge Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project, an overwhelming majority of the citizens, entities, and organizations spoke in opposition to the project. As a matter of fact, the U.S. Surface Transportation has scheduled three additional public hearings concerning the Environmental Impact Study, two in person hearings on April 29, 2025 at the Eagle Pass International Center for Trade at 11 am and 6 pm and a third virtual online hearing on May 1, 2025 at 6 pm.
Maverick County citizens have expressed interest in learning more about the proposed House Bill 74 filed by Morales as well as attending the scheduled U.S. Surface Transportation Board public hearings on April 29, 2025 in Eagle Pass, Texas.
