cameron county/matamoros - blue - The University of Texas at ...

UTB-CBIRD Report: “At the Crossroads” Survey 30
without a properly educated and trained workforce as well as affordable and
available water supplies.
Both groups of respondents also highly rate the Quality of Technical &
Vocational Education as well as the Skill of the Entry Level Workforce.
Matamoros community leaders give a higher rating to the Importance of
Affordable & Available Energy, Health Services, Telecommunications, and Tax
incentives. 1
QUESTION 3B: Please rate the EFFECTIVENESS of each FACTOR in your community as of
TODAY.
Effectiveness: Cameron County
Cameron County respondents were asked to rank the effectiveness of their
community in providing each factor. Table 3.3 shows Cameron County
respondents give the top two effectiveness ranks to Utilities (60%) and Public
Services (57%), while 54% consider Affordable & Available Energy, and
Affordable & Available Housing as being provided at an effective level. At the
bottom of the effectiveness list is Cross-Border Infrastructure, Skill of Managerial
& Professional Workforce, Industrial & University Research & Development, and
Skill of Entry-Level Workforce. 2
Table 3. 3. Cameron County Effectiveness: Key Factors
Key Factor Percent
Utilities 60%
Public Services (police, fire, etc) 57%
Affordable and available energy 54%
Affordable and available housing 54%
Quality of technical and vocational education 49%
Financing and capital access 48%
Cross border cooperation (general) 46%
Environmental Quality 46%
Telecommunications 46%
Transportation services 44%
Quality of life (cultural and recreational activities) 41%
Affordable and available water supplies 37%
Tax incentives 37%
Quality of K through 12 education 36%
Quality of college and university education 35%
Internet 35%
Cross border infrastructure to effectively handle growing flow of people & goods 31%
Skill of managerial and professional workforce 28%
Industrial and university research and development 21%
Skill of entry level workforce 17%
Source: UTB-CBIRD 2002
1 Hidalgo County survey respondents consider the following as being the most important factors
for job creation and economic development in the next 5-10 years: Quality of education (K-12),
affordable & available water, quality college & university education, quality technical &
vocational education, skill of entry level workforce, utilities, and skill of managerial and
professional workforce. All eight of these factors appear on Cameron County’s ranking while
utilities and skill of managerial and professional workers are the only two missing from the
Matamoros ranking.
2 Hidalgo County respondents consider their community as most effective in providing utilities,
affordable & available energy, telecommunications, affordable & available housing, and public
services. At the bottom of the list were cross border cooperation, and skill of managerial &
professional workforce, tax incentives, cross-border infrastructure, skill of entry level workforce,
and industrial and university R&D.
Una Region -- Un Futuro