CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Recently, the City of Odem approved a budget they hope will keep the city from going broke. For residents like Lirio Medrano who have lived in Odem for years, it was difficult to face the reality of the place he calls home struggling financially.
"Financially, that’s something that should have been monitored and tracked. To understand that that wasn’t, it’s kind of hard to understand. To me it doesn't make sense," Medrano said.
Now Odem Mayor David Maldonado is trying to reassure residents that the city is taking care of issues the city feels is a priority.
The American Rescue Plan, which is federal relief money given to city's during COVID-19, provided Odem with half a million dollars to use how they see fit. Odem will use that money to address water issues.
"It had been put in the back burner for way too long. Because of that, regular maintenance that should’ve been addressed throughout the years wasn’t being addressed. We decided that this year and moving forward we are going to address those infrastructure things for the community," Maldonado said.
The city should have three water pumps, but due to lack of maintenance, only one is working. Maldonado said if the last pump stops working, schools and business would have to shut down.
The money to help the infrastructure issues will not come from the city's general funds. With the half a million dollars, the city is working with an engineering company to redesign their water system and add a generator that will supply water to residents if power goes out.
Residents like Medrano are hopeful, but skepticism remains.
"With new leaders, there’s always a chance there’s going to be change. That’s one of the reasons we pick them and why they come in. There’s always hope. Whether or not they can be as effective as they need to be depending on how bad the ship is sinking they can only do so much," Medrano said.
Others who have lived in the city their whole life are confident the city will get back on track in a matter of time.
"I feel that Odem does have potential. It’s going to take us time, but a city is not built over night," Odem resident Melinda Martinez said.
The city hopes to have bids out for the new water system within the next month. They plan on focusing on repairing streets that are overdue next.
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