The Nueces County Commissioners Court had vowed to exit an economic development program<\/a> that relies on downtown property tax values, should the board deny the funding.<\/p>\n Corpus Christi City Councilman and board member Gil Hernandez said during the Jan. 13 meeting that although he supported financing the teardown, he didn\u2019t appreciate the county\u2019s \u201cmethods that are being used for it.\u201d<\/p>\n A historical marker in front of the Nueces County Courthouse of 1914 in downtown Corpus Christi on April 24, 2025.<\/p>\n He first had used the word \u201cextortion\u201d and later described it in the subsequent City Council meeting as \u201ccoercion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, I agree that we can participate with tearing down the old courthouse \u2014\u00a0I know it\u2019s been an odyssey for the county for many, many years,\u201d Hernandez said. \u201cI\u2019m in support of the funding, but again, this could have been handled a little bit differently.\u201d<\/p>\n Nueces County Commissioner Mike Pusley, also a member of the board, took exception to referencing the county\u2019s position as extortion.<\/p>\n There is a partnership in improving downtown, he said, adding that demolishing the old courthouse would serve as a benefit to the area.<\/p>\n \u201cExtortion is a terrible thing to say, and I\u2019m just really disappointed in that,\u201d Pusley said. \u201cWhat I\u2019m trying to do is salvage our partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n The board that oversees the economic development program \u2014 known as a tax increment reinvestment zone, or TIRZ \u2014 approved on Jan. 13 amending a project and financing plan that outlines the uses of funding.<\/p>\n In this case, the board approved in an 11-1 vote revising the project and financing plan to include among allowable uses as much as $2 million for the demolition of government buildings.<\/p>\n The approval by the TIRZ board, and subsequently the Corpus Christi City Council, was not specific to the 1914 Nueces County Courthouse. A contract specific to the proposed demolition of the historic courthouse is expected to be brought to the board and the City Council for consideration Jan. 27.<\/p>\n Tax increment financing<\/p>\n A TIRZ functions by taxing entities contributing to the program a portion of new or increased property taxes from a certain area, which would otherwise go to their respective budgets. The TIRZ revenue is then steered back into the area where it was collected for improvements.<\/p>\n TIRZ revenue cannot be used for other purposes than improving the area from which it was drawn. The idea is that reinvesting the funding will spur more economic development, leading to higher property values.<\/p>\n The county, which joined the TIRZ in 2009, currently contributes 100% of its tax increment.<\/p>\n That has amounted to about $5.5 million over the time the county has participated in the TIRZ, said Arlene Medrano, Downtown Management District executive director.<\/p>\n The city has contributed about $12 million, she said.<\/p>\n Should the county withdraw from the program, the downtown TIRZ would stand to lose about $370,000 annually, Medrano said.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/d8d5020b5f7e0fe7eeb365fa65e50064.jpeg\"\/)
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