Webb County Commissioner Steered Flood Mitigation Funds to Property He Partly Owns, Documents Suggest
A Webb County commissioner appears to have directed over $800,000 in flood mitigation infrastructure funds toward a project that provides direct drainage benefits to a commercial property in which he holds a partial ownership interest, according to county spending records, state grant documentation, and Laredo-area property filings reviewed by Corruption Watch – TX.
The funding, drawn from a Texas Water Development Board hazard mitigation grant awarded to Webb County in 2023, was allocated to a drainage improvement project on the county’s southeast side. A review of Appraisal District records and Secretary of State filings shows that a commercial parcel directly adjacent to the drainage corridor is co-owned by an LLC in which the commissioner is listed as a 33 percent member.
The commissioner chaired the county’s infrastructure subcommittee at the time the project was selected for funding. Meeting minutes show no recusal and no conflict disclosure.
State rules governing TWDB grants require that recipients ensure no “personal financial benefit” flows to elected officials involved in project selection. The county’s own ethics policy uses nearly identical language.
A spokesperson for the Texas Water Development Board told Corruption Watch – TX that the agency “relies on local jurisdictions to certify compliance” with conflict-of-interest rules and that it does not independently audit project selection decisions unless a formal complaint is filed.
No complaint appears to have been filed. The project was completed in late 2025.
The commissioner, reached by phone on June 25, said he was “not aware of any conflict” and that the project was “selected on technical merit.” He declined to answer follow-up questions about the LLC.
Corruption Watch – TX is reviewing additional grant cycles in Webb County and examining whether this pattern extends to other projects.
Tips related to this story or county infrastructure spending in South Texas can be submitted at /submit-a-tip.