Galbreath to seek re-election

HARLINGEN - City Commissioner Larry Galbreath announced Tuesday that he will seek re-election.

A crowd of supporters including City Commissioners Bobby Farris and Jay Meade, former city commissioner Eddie Medrano, Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce President Ruthie Ewers and Loaves & Fishes Executive Director Dean Hall gathered at City Hall on Tuesday morning as Galbreath made his announcement.

"I've lived in Harlingen for almost 60 years - and I love Harlingen," Galbreath said. "I think Harlingen is the place to be in the Valley."

Galbreath, who lives in the 1400 block of Magnolia Court near Harlingen High School, has served on the City Commission for the past three years and his term as an elected at-large city commissioner expires in May.

Galbreath said he was planning to seek re-election regardless of the outcome of the referendum on single-member districts that voters approved on Nov. 4.

"People ask me all the time, ‘Are you going to run again?' and I planned all along to run whether we had single-member districts or not," Galbreath said. "The challenge is still there and there are things we still need to do.

"I've always considered myself as a servant to the community."

"I figured if I'm going to run, why not announce it now?" Galbreath said.

Galbreath was the first to declare as a City Commission candidate in next May's municipal election.

Galbreath said the city has to continue to work towards looking for solutions for the graffiti and gang violence problems that it faces.

He also said the city has to keep working with the Economic Development Corporation to continue to bring new business to the city.

Galbreath also wants to work towards attracting more permanent Winter Texans to Harlingen.

Lines for the new single-member districts have yet to be drawn. But regardless of what district he is in, Galbreath said, he will make the effort to reach out to the other commissioners to work for the betterment of the entire city.

"I've always been for the at-large system because I think it's important that citizens have a say-so in electing all five commissioners," Galbreath said.

"But a majority of the citizens voted for single-member districts. And I'm ready to go forward with that philosophy and make sure that the people in my district get everything that other districts do - not any more, not any less."