Edinburg’s legacy of civic engagement and improvement reached another milestone recently as the fast-growing community was named an All-America City for the fourth time in its history.

The award, as given by the National Civic League, celebrates communities that exemplify the best projects and achievements in innovation, civic engagement and collaboration. The organization chose Edinburg as one of 20 finalists this year from a pool of several hundred applicant cities from across the country. In early June, a delegation of about two dozen residents and city staffers led by Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. traveled to Denver to make their group presentation to National Civic League judges.

The Edinburg delegation’s pitch to the committee of judges featured the city’s offerings of year-round festivals, the creation of inclusive parks and a long-range 2040 plan looking to the future. The committee was impressed. Judges lauded Edinburg for being “steadfast in its commitment to fostering community growth and development,” while providing a cross-section of city residents and businesses with “exceptional opportunities.”

For Edinburg, the 2024 award adds to the All-America City designations of 1968, 1995 and 2000. 

“We came here and showed it on a national stage,” Mayor Garza said from Denver in a video provided by the City of Edinburg. “The competition was about civic engagement. We were able to show what our residents are doing in the community and we’re getting recognized for it.”

Compelling Stories

Other Rio Grande Valley cities have received similar recognition over the years.

Brownsville has been an All-America City twice. The other All-America cities in the Valley are Hidalgo, Pharr, Harlingen, Mission and Weslaco, with each one of those communities winning the prestigious honor once in recent decades.

Edinburg’s fourth All-America City designation comes at a time when the community is experiencing the most rapid rate of growth in its history. The city ranks as the 12th fastest growing community in the country for cities with populations of over 100,000 residents. The city’s economic development corporation cites figures of $400 million in construction value over the last year and 4.500 residential lots under current development. 

Those growth numbers are impressive but not solely sufficient to gain All-America City honors. There has to be stories and compelling narratives to convince National Civic League judges that a city is more than growth and economic development. Edinburg community leaders touted a Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council as how a city can encourage participation in local governance among its younger residents. The city’s series of festivals was another highlight which showed judges how Edinburg promotes cultural and musical events amid its rapid economic development.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, you’re going to have a festival in our city,” Mayor Garza said of the diversity of events in his city.

Engaging The Community

The community’s diversity was evident in the delegation representing Edinburg at the event in Denver.

Those traveling to Colorado included high school students, community leaders, elected officials and representatives of a local foundation dedicated to serving children. Community leaders spoke of the challenges Edinburg faces, including what they consider to be misleading national media reporting about the United States/Mexico border and lower-than-national averages for personal income.

A way to address those challenges, community leaders told the judges, were initiatives such as 2040 committees that actively involved residents from all parts of Edinburg in mapping out specific plans for the city’s future across a range of issues. It is the emphasis Edinburg has demonstrated to be inclusive and engaging with its local residents that were among the qualities that most impressed the judges, Garza said.

“Our city’s ability to bring together individuals from all walks of life to work toward common goals is truly inspiring,” the mayor said. “This award reaffirms our belief in the power of community-driven action and the importance of strong civic infrastructure.”