By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Elsa Reyes is seeking election to the Councilperson-at-Large, Place A, seat on the Del Rio City Council.
Reyes was born and raised in Del Rio. She attended Del Rio schools and graduated from Del Rio High School in 1986. After graduating from high school, she attended Southwest Texas State University, where she earned a degree in business administration.
After college, Reyes worked for a federal government agency in Austin, then returned to Del Rio in 1997.
After her return, she was hired by the city as its first transportation coordinator, marking the start of her total of 20 years of service to the city.
During her two decades of work with the city, Reyes also worked as director of the city’s Women’s Infants & Childrens (WIC) Program, operations director, interim community services director, interim economic development director and grant writer.
Reyes has volunteered her time with several local organizations, including the International Good Neighbor Council, where she was a board member from 2000-2023. She served as the chapter’s president and past president. She also served as the chairperson of the IGNC’s Fiesta de la Amistad Grand International Parade.
Reyes also served as the director of the Miss Del Rio Pageant for 26 years.
She has served as committee chair for the American Cancer Society’s Val Verde County Relay for Life and as vice president and president of that organization.
Reyes is a member of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce Red Carpet Ambassadors since 2015.
She has also served as president of the Del Rio chapter of Toastmasters International.
Reyes’ candidate vision statement reads, “Born and raised in Del Rio, my commitment to giving back to the community stems from a deeply ingrained sense of gratitude for all it has provided me.
“If entrusted with the privilege of representing the citizens of Del Rio, I am committed to fiscal responsibility, downtown revitalization, economic development, property accountability and quality of life issues,” she said.
Reyes also spoke about the key issues she plans to address if elected.
“It is imperative to prioritize fiscal responsibility in both current and future projects, ensuring through financial planning to meet the needs of all endeavors,” she said.
Reyes said she also plans to “advocate for robust support of economic growth initiatives.”
“I will actively facilitate development opportunities and provide the resources to foster sustainable expansion,” she said.
Reyes said she also hopes to “maintain momentum” on efforts to revitalize the city’s historic downtown area and is “dedicated to steadfastly supporting the ongoing mission of Laughlin Air Force Base.”
She said she will prioritize fair and equitable treatment of the city’s employees and foster property accountability.
“I pledge to address concerns such as the management of junk vehicles and holding property owners accountable for maintaining their premises to uphold community standards,” Reyes said.
Reyes said she will also prioritize the city’s efforts to restore commercial air service and address quality of life issues.
“I am committed to pursuing avenues to reinstate passenger air service, recognizing its importance for connectivity and economic vitality,” she said.
“I will prioritize initiatives aimed at enhancing the overall quality of life for all residents, including access to essential services, recreational opportunities and a safe environment,” she said.
Asked why she believed the voters of Del Rio should pick her, Reyes told the 830 Times, “I think the most important thing is that I have insight. I worked for the city for a total of 20 years and served in different positions. . . Probably where I learned the most was when I served as operations director. I served for almost three years under Frances Rodriguez, who was our finance director at the time, and through her, I gained a wealth of knowledge about the budget. So, I have insight. I know what the processes are to get things done.
“I also think it’s important that no matter what project we take on, we think it through. If it needs to be done in phases, let’s do it in phases, but you must make sure to follow through on each of those phases,” she said.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com.
