Primera annex meeting still set for tonight

PRIMERA - Residents today will speak out on whether they want city commissioners to go ahead with a plan to request Harlingen annex the city.

Despite forecasts that Tropical Storm Dolly will make landfall as a hurricane along the South Texas Coast on Wednesday morning, the meeting was still set for 6:30 p.m., City Administrator Javier Mendez said Monday evening.

Residents' input will help commissioners decide whether they'll call an election in which voters would determine whether they want Harlingen to annex the city, Mendez said.

In Harlingen, the proposal would also have to go to a vote.

Harlingen officials estimate it could cost as much as $38 million to annex Primera.

Harlingen would spend more than $30 million to improve roads that would include Stuart Place and Primera roads if it annexed the city.

Primera, with a $1 million general fund budget, generates more than $424,000 in property tax revenue and $64,800 in sales tax revenue.

While Primera's tax rate stands at 69 cents per $100 valuation, Harlingen's is set at 59 cents.