Community Development Council Members

The keystone to the annual allocation of CDBG funds in the City of Pharr is the Community Development Council (CDC). The CDC makes funding recommendations to the Mayor and City Commissioners. The Community Development Council reviews funding proposals submitted by public service agencies/non-profit agencies, as well as proposals submitted by City Departments.

Pharr’s use of a Citizen Advisory Board to make recommendations on the best use of the city’s annual federal CDBG appropriation has received national recognition, including a Community Development Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. The award was in recognition of all the improvements done in the Las Milpas area since its annexation by the City of Pharr.  The Council makes difficult but community-based decisions that address a broad spectrum of poverty-related needs, economic development and the elimination of slum/blighted areas.

The Community Development Council is composed of eleven members, which meets the criteria guidelines of the Federal Community Development Act.  Two such members shall be residents of Census Tract No. 213; two of Census Tract No 214; two of Census Tract No. 215; two of Census Tract No. 216 and two of Census Tract No. 217, and one member at large shall be a resident of the City.   The current members are:

NAME CENSUS TRACT LENGTH OF TERM
Ruben Lopez 216 1 Yr.
Rafael Z. Rivera At Large 2 Yrs.
Socorro Castro 213 1 Yr.
Lucio Gaitan 214 1 Yr.
Israel Cantu 215 1 Yr.
Rick Martinez 217 1 Yr.
Rene Cantu 215 2 Yrs.
Jose G. Rodriguez, Chairman 213 3 Yrs.
Ruben Solis, Vice-Chairperson 214 3 Yrs.
Belia Garcia 217 2 Yrs.
Gina Navarro 216 3 Yrs.