“Building Webb County Stronger, One Project at a Time.”
“Elect C.Y. Benavides — The Builder Who Delivers Results”
Early Voting
February 17, 2026, through February 27, 2026
Primary Election
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
About Me
Carlos Ygnacio “C.Y.” Benavides III is a lifelong Laredo resident whose life and work have been shaped by service, leadership, and a deep commitment to Webb County. Born to Eva Linda Rash Mann and the Honorable Carlos Y. Benavides Jr., former Webb County Judge, C.Y. was raised in a family grounded in public service, tradition, and community involvement.
He received his early education at Mary Help of Christians School, United High School, and Nixon High School, and later attended Sul Ross State University, where he studied Wildlife and Range Management. His academic and professional background reflects a long-standing connection to land stewardship, infrastructure, and responsible growth.
For more than three decades, C.Y. has been deeply involved in community and charitable work throughout Laredo. He has volunteered with numerous civic and nonprofit organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Laredo, Rio Grande International Study Center, Rotary and LULAC clubs, youth organizations, and local charities serving families, seniors, and the disadvantaged. He has also served as a youth coach in basketball, flag football, and organized soccer, mentoring young people both on and off the field.
The charitable work closest to C.Y.’s heart is his more than 31-year commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Laredo. He has served as a Board Member and Past President, was awarded the National Medallion of Honor by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and was recently appointed Lifetime Director. In 1997, he helped establish the Laredo Boys and Girls Club Wine Taste Gala, which has raised more than $3 million for local youth programs.
C.Y.’s professional experience spans business leadership, infrastructure development, publishing, environmental services, and land and wildlife management. He served as President of Camino Colombia Toll Road, LLC, overseeing the development of the first privately owned toll road in Texas. He is the founder of Trophy Magazine, a statewide Texas outdoor publication, and has held leadership roles in environmental services and private enterprise. As Trustee of the Benavides Family Mineral Trust, he oversees oil and gas development interests, emphasizing responsible land use and long-term planning.
For over 35 years, C.Y. has worked in wildlife, ranch, and land management, raising multiple species of exotic wildlife, including endangered species, and managing cattle and ranch operations. He maintains lifetime memberships in the Texas Deer Association and the Exotic Wildlife Association and has supported conservation initiatives through organizations such as the Rio Grande International Study Center.
C.Y.’s decades of service have earned him numerous honors, including the National Medallion of Honor from the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, LEAD Laredo Humanitarian of the Year, the City of Laredo Lifetime of Youth Service Award, the RGISC TAKER Award, and a nomination for the Jefferson Award for Public Service.
C.Y. Benavides III brings a lifetime of local experience, proven leadership, and a steady commitment to Webb County. His focus is on responsible growth, accountable government, and practical solutions that strengthen the community and protect taxpayers.
Vision Statement
“C.Y. Benavides envisions a Webb County where families keep more of their hard-earned money, veterans are supported, services are strong and efficient, and government works transparently so the community can thrive.”
C.Y. Benavides – 15-Point Platform
1️⃣ Webb County Water Infrastructure Platform 💧
Stop water waste. Secure our future. Serve our community.
2️⃣ Webb County Youth Development & Education Plan 🧒
Safe kids. Strong families. A future built at home.
3️⃣ Quality-of-Life & Talent Retention
Keeping our kids safe. Supporting families. Keeping talent here at home.
4️⃣ Webb County Bridges & Infrastructure Plan 🌉
Connecting communities. Supporting growth. Protecting taxpayers.
5️⃣ Encouraging Development Across Webb County 🏗️
Including responsible business incentives where they make sense.
6️⃣ Collaborating With State & Federal Officials 🌎🏗️
Bringing federal dollars to Webb County for ports and strategic projects.
7️⃣ Webb County Taxpayer Relief Plan 💸
Protecting homeowners with a legal 10% tax cut while maintaining full county services.
8️⃣ County Workforce — Stability, Efficiency & Respect 👷♂️👩💼
Protecting jobs, improving services, and supporting county employees.
9️⃣ Employee Health Insurance — Affordable, Competitive & Reliable 💊🩺
Ensuring county employees have access to quality, affordable healthcare.
🔟 Funding Oversight, Audits & Accountability 💼📊
Promoting transparency, efficiency, and responsible financial management.
1️⃣1️⃣ Boys & Girls Club Sites 🏫💡
Phased, funded, and accountable youth programs.
1️⃣2️⃣ Veterans — Housing Stability & Support 🎖️🏠
Providing housing stability and essential support services for veterans.
1️⃣3️⃣ Webb County Hospital: 3-Year Plan 🏥
Building a public hospital and expanding healthcare access.
1️⃣4️⃣ Public Safety & Emergency Management Plan 🚓🔥
Ensuring preparedness, rapid response, and community safety.
1️⃣5️⃣ Small Business Freedom Agenda 💵
Supporting entrepreneurship, reducing barriers, and growing the local economy.
Budget vs. Grants
1️⃣ Water Infrastructure & Upgrades 💧
- County Budget: $7 million for pipeline repairs and partial plant expansion.
- Grants Needed: $8 million from state and federal water infrastructure programs to complete full expansion and emergency upgrades.
- Grant Writers: 1 dedicated full-time professional for tracking, applications, and compliance.
- Partnerships: City of Laredo, Texas Water Development Board, USDA Rural Development.
- Timeline: 1–4 years.
2️⃣ Roads, Bridges & Flood Mitigation 🛣️🌊
- County Budget: $3 million for immediate repairs on high-priority roads and drainage.
- Grants Needed: $12 million from federal and state infrastructure programs (RAISE, INFRA, FEMA hazard mitigation).
- Grant Writers: 1–2 for road and drainage grants.
- Partnerships: City of Laredo, Texas Department of Transportation, FEMA, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service.
- Timeline: 1–5 years.
3️⃣ Port & Strategic Projects 🚢
- County Budget: $5 million for planning, staffing, and coordination.
- Grants Needed: $15 million from federal port modernization, logistics, and economic development grants.
- Grant Writers: 1 professional with port/transport expertise.
- Partnerships: City of Laredo, Texas State Guard (logistics support), neighboring counties (Hidalgo, Cameron, El Paso) as models.
- Timeline: 1–4 years.
4️⃣ Taxpayer Relief 💸
- County Budget: Funding immediate 10% reduction via local option homestead exemptions.
- Grants Needed: None required; fully achievable through reallocation, audits, and budget efficiency.
- Grant Writers: None.
- Timeline: Ongoing, annual implementation.
5️⃣ County Workforce 👷♂️👩💼
- County Budget: Covers salaries, wellness programs, and performance coaching ($4 million).
- Grants Needed: Optional grants for workforce training or mental health initiatives (~$500k).
- Grant Writers: 1 to identify training/funding opportunities.
- Timeline: Year 1 for audit, Year 2+ ongoing professional development.
6️⃣ Employee Health Insurance 💊
- County Budget: Covers base premiums and Day-1 eligibility (~$12 million/year).
- Grants Needed: Optional federal or state healthcare programs to supplement cost ($1–2 million).
- Grant Writers: 1 to manage health-related grants.
- Timeline: Year 1 review and implementation; Year 2+ monitoring.
7️⃣ Funding Oversight & Audits 💼📊
- County Budget: $500k–$1 million for independent audits, transparency dashboards, and reporting systems.
- Grants Needed: Optional state transparency grants (~$100k).
- Grant Writers: 1 part-time for grant opportunities.
- Timeline: Year 1 setup; continuous auditing thereafter.
8️⃣ Boys & Girls Club Sites 🏫💡
- County Budget: $300k–$400k/year for 2 initial sites (30–40% of cost).
- Grants Needed: $600k–$700k/year from nonprofit partnerships and federal community grants.
- Grant Writers: 1–2 for community development and nonprofit grants.
- Timeline: Phase 1: Years 1–2; Phase 2 expansion: Years 3–5.
9️⃣ Veterans Housing 🎖️🏠
- County Budget: $2 million/year from savings/reallocation.
- Grants Needed: $4.3 million from federal and state veteran housing programs, HUD supportive housing.
- Grant Writers: 1 full-time for veteran grants.
- Timeline: 2026–2028 to deliver 50–100 units.
- Partnerships: City of Laredo, local nonprofits, Workforce Solutions South Texas.
10️⃣ Webb County Hospital 🏥
- County Budget: $17.1 million for immediate mental health and addiction centers.
- Grants Needed: $200 million from federal healthcare programs (HRSA, SAMHSA) for phased hospital and clinic build.
- Grant Writers: 2–3 with healthcare and infrastructure expertise.
- Timeline: 3 years for initial hospital phases; ongoing expansion.
- Partnerships: City of Laredo, Laredo College, Texas A&M International University, counties like Travis and Bexar as models.
11️⃣ Public Safety & Emergency Management 🚓🚒🚑
- County Budget: $70–75 million for staffing, vehicles, fire engines, ambulances, sheriff’s upgrades, and emergency equipment.
- Grants Needed: $15–20 million from federal and state public safety, EMS, fire, police, and disaster preparedness programs.
- Equipment Needed:
- Fire: 6 fire engines, 3 brush trucks, 30 sets protective gear, 30 breathing apparatus units
- EMS: 3 advanced life support ambulances per rural station, cardiac monitors, trauma kits
- Police: 100 officers, protective gear, radios, surveillance cameras
- Sheriff: Patrol vehicles, radios, body cameras, protective gear
- Grant Writers: 2–3 specialized in public safety, EMS, and disaster management grants.
- Partnerships: City of Laredo, Texas State Guard for emergency staffing and disaster response.
- Timeline: 3 years for full county coverage.
County Judge Procedure During Disasters:
- Declares emergency, mobilizes resources, coordinates all agencies (fire, EMS, police, sheriff, Texas State Guard).
- Follows Texas Local Government Code for lawful deployment, ensures public reporting and accountability.
- All expenditures coordinated with Commissioners Court; grants applied where budget does not cover costs.
- Continuous training, drills, and annual audits to ensure readiness.
12️⃣ Small Business Freedom Agenda 💵
- County Budget: $3 million to seed small business grants and workforce programs.
- Grants Needed: $2–3 million from federal economic development and entrepreneurship programs (Economic Development Administration, Small Business Administration).
- Grant Writers: 1–2 focused on economic and small business grants.
- Timeline: Year 1–2 for initial grants; ongoing mentorship.
- Partners: Laredo College, Texas A&M International University, Texas Workforce Commission.
- Estimated Jobs Created: 950–1,200 local jobs.
Counties in Texas Doing Similar Programs:
- Hidalgo County: Water, port, and economic development grants.
- Cameron County: Boys & Girls Club, port logistics, workforce alignment.
- Travis County: Employee wellness, veteran housing, public hospital partnerships.
- Bexar County: Audit transparency, veteran programs, emergency management.
- Williamson County: Taxpayer relief, workforce realignment.
- El Paso County: Port modernization, public safety.
- Harris County: Large-scale grant management and disaster preparedness.
Tax & COL Comparison Tables
Why Voters Should Vote for C.Y. Benavides
Core Commitment ⚖️✨
C.Y. Benavides will serve Webb County with integrity, discipline, and accountability. His focus is simple: protect taxpayers, strengthen essential services, and deliver measurable results — all within the legal authority of the County Judge and Commissioners Court.
What C.Y. Benavides Will Do
✅
Property Tax Relief 💵
Pursue responsible reductions in the county property tax rate by replacing local costs with federal and state funding and verified operational savings — without cutting services or laying off workers.
Protect County Services 🏛️
Maintain and strengthen essential county services while eliminating waste, duplication, and inefficiency.
Fiscal Oversight & Transparency 📊
Ensure every county dollar is audited, tracked, and publicly reported so residents clearly see how money is spent.
Support Families & Veterans 🎖️🏠
Protect and expand legally authorized support programs through partnerships and grants — without creating new bureaucracy.
Smart, Accountable Growth 🌱
Promote economic development that delivers verified jobs and investment first — taxpayers pay only after results are proven.
How He Will Do It
🛠️
Builder’s Mindset 🏗️
Plan carefully, manage costs, set timelines, and deliver outcomes — not slogans.
Financial Review & Audits 📑
Work with Commissioners Court to ensure independent financial, performance, and compliance audits across county departments, contracts, and grant-funded programs.
Contract & Vendor Review ✍️
Renegotiate major contracts, eliminate inefficiencies, and ensure taxpayers receive full value for every dollar spent.
Grant & Outside Funding Strategy 💰
Assign dedicated grant writers within the first 90 days to identify and apply for federal and state grants, reducing reliance on property taxes and expanding funding for county services.
Coordinate with regional partners to maximize grant opportunities legally and efficiently.
Data, Reporting & Public Accountability 📌
Provide regular public reporting, financial dashboards, and accountability updates — fully accessible to residents.
Bipartisan, Results-Driven Leadership 🤝
Work with all elected officials, departments, and community partners to deliver solutions that benefit the entire county.
Timeline ⏳
First 90 Days 🗓️
- Begin preparation for audits and public reporting.
- Establish accountability and transparency as governing priorities.
- Assign grant writers to identify and apply for federal and state funding.
First Year 📅
- Implement approved audits and reporting standards.
- Begin contract reviews and efficiency measures.
- Pursue grant funding to support property tax relief and county services.
Ongoing 🔄
- Conduct annual audits and public accountability reports.
- Continuously review spending, performance, and outcomes.
What Voters Gain 💡
- Reduced pressure on property taxes.
- Strong county services without layoffs or cuts.
- Clear, public accountability for every dollar spent.
- Responsible growth that pays off before incentives are given.
- Long-term financial stability for Webb County.
How C.Y. Benavides Is Different 🌟
- Not a career politician: Focused on execution, not rhetoric.
- Unifier: Works across party lines and institutions.
- Accountable: Commits to measurable, public results.
- For Everyone: Serves all of Webb County — not political insiders.
Closing Statement 🏛️
C.Y. Benavides will bring discipline, transparency, and results-driven leadership to Webb County — protecting taxpayers, strengthening services, and restoring trust in county government.