ROBSTOWN — Discussions on Nueces County’s financial standing, drainage infrastructure improvements, the “bittersweet” upcoming demolition of the 1914 Nueces County Courthouse and limitations on data center projects took center stage during this year’s State of the County address.
The annual address, typically delivered by the Nueces County judge, took a different approach on Oct. 1 with members of the Nueces County Commissioners Court discussing their collaborative efforts on infrastructure projects and how the county is managing a limited budget.
Al Arreola Jr., president of the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, moderated a panel discussion at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds featuring Nueces County Judge Connie Scott and
Commissioners Mike Pusley, John Marez, Joe A. Gonzalez and Brent Chesney.
Financial standing
Nueces County commissioners approved the 2026-2027 fiscal year budget on Sept. 9, notably giving county employees a 4% pay increase and slightly raising the property tax rate to $0.302706 per $100 of assessed value.
Scott said that county financial advisers had raised concern over a lack in county reserve funds. In response, commissioners and county staff sorted through undeveloped properties to be put up for sale to increase the reserve balance.
“As a county, you sit on property, it doesn't get developed, and we have opportunities to have tax revenue where we don't have to put that burden on our citizens as well,” Scott said.
“I think that's pure collaboration with everyone that's purely taking care of our responsibilities.”
Scott said county reserves are upwards of $48 million after selling farmland next to the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds to the Port of Corpus Christi.
The properties of Newport Pass and Aviator Stadium are also being discussed for potential sale.
Chesney spoke about the importance of grant funding going for county services, praising the Nueces County Board of Coastal Parks in particular for winning millions of dollars in grants.
Drainage projects
Flooding mitigation has long been a battle for rural areas of Nueces County, as well as finding room in the budget to accommodate drainage projects.
Gonzalez said this is why state and federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Community Development Block Grant have been significant in pursuing drainage projects. Gonzalez represents Precinct 2, which includes the southwestern part of Nueces County.
“Those grants have really helped my constituents in the western area where we are able to do drainage, able to do flood mitigations, we're able to do retention ponds, all these other things,” he said.
Gonzalez also mentioned a drainage and retention pond project nearing completion in Petronila.
He said that, by November, three projects in the neighborhoods of Tierra Grande, Golden Acres and Bishop could break ground.
Pusley, who represents Precinct 1, which includes northern and northwestern Nueces County, said that he often receives calls from residents about drainage issues.
He noted that there are two drainage projects in the design phase for the neighborhood of Casa Blanca in Robstown and near the Corpus Christi International Airport, which are areas prone to major flooding.
1914 Nueces County Courthouse
Since the first day Scott entered office, determining the future of the 1914 Nueces County courthouse has been a priority, she said.
Due to the aging infrastructure of the courthouse and substantial costs associated with restoration, the commissioners collectively agreed demolition was the right path. Restoring the building could have cost more than $100 million, Pusley said.
“When you leave a building empty, with those open windows and on the coastline, with the wear and tear, with the decay in there, it is almost impossible to come up with something financially feasible to do there,” Scott said.
Pusley spoke about the efforts made to preserve the courthouse and working with the Texas Historical Commission to proceed with demolition.
“We tried for years to save that building,” he said.
The Corpus Christi Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 3 approved $2 million to go toward the demolition in May. Nueces County must complete the demolition by Dec. 31, 2028, or will have to repay funds.
Scott said commissioners will be selecting a demolition contractor at the Oct. 14 meeting.
Data centers
Commissioners discussed Hut 8, the company developing the Beacon Point data center campus near Calallen, and the county’s limited role in reviewing or approving data center projects.
Texas counties do not have as much authority over data center developments as cities do, Pusley said. He explained that county officials are limited with respect to construction in unincorporated areas of the county and cannot restrict data center construction.
“The only way we could do that, to have any control over what they do, is to create a tax abatement or a ... payment in lieu of taxes, a 380 agreement, something of that nature,” he said.
Pusley said that the Commissioners Court has declined to offer any tax abatement to Hut 8.
“We have come out on the short end of the stick every time we've done that, which means our taxpayers have come out on the short end of the stick,” he said.
Chesney pointed to the state Legislature to consider regulating data center developments and provide guidance to Texas counties.
Felicity Guajardo covers breaking news and public safety. Contact her at felicity.guajardo@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Nueces County address covers finances, data centers, 1914 courthouse
