An optional pre-conference tour exploring the workforce, infrastructure, emergency response coordination, and county-level impacts associated with large-scale industrial and aerospace development in South Texas.

Registration will run daily. 

Quarterly meeting of the CUC Policy Committee. The agenda will be sent prior to the meeting. 

Judge Treviño has served Cameron County since 2017 and brings decades of public service experience at both the state and local levels. He previously represented the region in the Texas House of Representatives and has focused his leadership on infrastructure investment, public safety, and economic growth across this rapidly developing coastal county.

Focuses on county emergency management planning, disaster preparedness, continuity of operations, and how counties maintain institutional readiness before, during, and after major event.

Assorted breakfast breads, fruit, eggs, breakfast meat, potato of the day, milk, juice, coffee and hot tea.

Port expansion, manufacturing investment, freight movement, and workforce development initiatives are reshaping the economic landscape of the Rio Grande Valley and strengthening the region’s position as a strategic gateway between the United States and Mexico.

From transportation corridors to flood mitigation to public safety grants, access to federal dollars requires strategic positioning, coordinated advocacy, and disciplined follow-through.

This session moves beyond theory and into practical strategy. County intergovernmental leaders will discuss how they structure federal engagement, build bipartisan relationships, track appropriations opportunities, and align local priorities with national funding frameworks. The discussion will include lessons learned from one of the nation’s largest counties and offer replicable insights for urban counties across Texas.

Counties serve as the operational backbone of multiple overlapping human service systems. Domestic violence, housing instability, behavioral health crises, and immigration-related legal needs often converge at the county level. When one system fails, others absorb the strain — jails fill, courts slow, emergency rooms overflow.

This session explores how integrated approaches can reduce systemic pressure. Panelists will examine permanent supportive housing models, local mental health authority coordination, and medical-legal partnerships designed to stabilize vulnerable populations before crises escalate. The discussion emphasizes operational realities, cross-sector collaboration, and how counties can reduce downstream public safety costs through upstream intervention.

All members of the Texas Conference of Urban Counties are invited to the luncheon. If you have not registered for the conference, please contact cuc@cuc.org to let us know you are coming so we can plan enough lunch.

Wise County Commissioner Kevin Burns, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, and Loudoun County, Virginia Commissioner Mike Turner. Through a mix of presentation and discussion, this session will explore the real-world tradeoffs tied to power demand, water usage, microgrids, infrastructure strain, and economic development—while confronting a central challenge for Texas counties: significant impacts with limited regulatory authority

Flood events expose drainage gaps, maintenance backlogs, design limitations, and coordination challenges between utilities, developers, and local governments.

This session shifts from legislative structure to operational reality. Utility leadership and regional advocates will discuss stormwater management, flood mitigation planning, long-term maintenance funding, and how rapid development pressures existing systems. The conversation will center on what counties see on the ground, how accountability is enforced, and where operational planning must improve to keep pace with growth.

As populations increase and infrastructure demands intensify, counties must align fiscal forecasting, capital planning, workforce strategy, and service delivery.

This session explores how counties can move from reactive governance to disciplined strategic planning. Speakers will discuss formal planning processes, performance measurement tools, financial modeling, and how elected officials can build durable frameworks that survive political turnover. Particular attention will be given to small-footprint counties experiencing disproportionate population growth.

An educational coastal conservation program linking environmental stewardship with tourism, resiliency, and county land-use responsibilities.

Join us for drinks and passed hors d’oeuvres, thanks to our sponsors

Assorted breakfast breads, fruit, eggs, breakfast meat, potato of the day, milk, juice, coffee and hot tea.

Voting behavior in majority-Latinx communities has evolved in recent cycles, challenging long-held political assumptions.

This session provides a research-driven analysis of political realignment in border counties. The discussion will examine turnout trends, issue salience, immigration narratives, and how local governance intersects with national political shifts. The goal is to provide county leaders with context for understanding changing civic landscapes.

Workforce mobility, freight corridors, emergency communications, and cross-border trade all require alignment between counties, councils of governments, and economic development organizations.

This session examines how South Texas positions itself for long-term investment. Speakers will discuss transportation planning, infrastructure coordination, binational trade dynamics, and strategies for aligning public sector planning with private sector opportunity. The emphasis will be on forward-looking competitiveness rather than reactive response.

As labor markets tighten and fiscal pressures mount, counties must balance responsible funding with competitive workforce structures.

This session examines the long-term sustainability of retirement systems and the broader workforce ecosystem. Discussion will include disciplined pension funding models, workforce pipeline development, and how higher education institutions intersect with county talent needs.

Fiscal exposure, liability, legislative uncertainty, and intergovernmental coordination