Mineral Money, Stable Employers, Predictable Rules | Cuero, Texas
A $7.54B mineral value backdrop and a rules-based development system create a steadier investment and growth environment.
Quick note before this week’s brief: Texas Street is evolving…
Texas Street started as a newsletter because I wanted one simple thing: a clearer way to track what’s actually happening in Texas towns and markets, without the fluff.
And somehow, it’s grown into something bigger than I expected.
We’re now over 675 subscribers, which is honestly wild to say out loud. And the more this has grown, the more obvious something has become: a weekly email is great, but it’s not the best place for real conversation, collaboration, and the “wait, are y’all seeing this too?” moments.
So this week, I’m launching Texas Street Insider, an online community that’s basically the next step in the Texas Street newsletter.
Every Texas Street subscriber will be invited to join. Starting this week, you’ll begin getting an invite link. I’m rolling invites out in stages through the end of the month so we can onboard people smoothly and make sure it feels like a real community, not a chaotic group chat.
Why am I doing this…
I want Texas Street to be more than something you read. I want it to be a place where we can actually connect and build.
Inside Texas Street Insider, you can expect:
A home base for the Texas Street crowd (so we’re not all scattered across inboxes)
Real conversations on local moves: projects, trends, permits, expansion plays, and what they mean
Deal and opportunity sharing when it makes sense
Deeper context behind the weekly brief: extra notes and breakdowns that don’t fit in the email
A simple way to ask questions and get answers, where everyone benefits from the thread
Premium option -
There will also be a Premium tier for folks who want more: exclusive content, deeper intel, and additional access and privileges inside the community.
If you’re already a subscriber, you don’t need to do anything yet. Just keep an eye out for your invite link between now and the end of the month.
Texas Street isn’t changing. It’s evolving. The newsletter is still the engine. Texas Street Insider is the place we grow the community around it.
More to come in the upcoming days,
Omegadson
Last week’s EDO Roundup…
AT&T moving headquarters to Plano - Jan 5, 2026
AT&T is shifting its global HQ from downtown Dallas to a 54-acre campus in Plano (Legacy Drive) as part of consolidating North Texas operations (Axios notes 10,000+ employees in the region). This starts in 2028, and Dallas now has a big “what’s next” question on its hands for those downtown buildings.TxDOT starts work on $473 million project to widen U.S. 90 - Jan 5, 2026
TxDOT kicked off a $473M project to widen 7.6 miles of U.S. 90 on San Antonio’s West Side from 4 lanes to 6, plus frontage roads and key interchange upgrades. It’s phased with completion targets of 2030 and 2031, and the corridor is projected to get a lot busier over time.Amarillo EnterPrize Challenge launches with half-million in business funding - Jan 6, 2026
Amarillo’s EnterPrize Challenge just opened up again with a $500,000 prize pool, and individual awards can go up to $100,000 to help local companies scale. It’s backed by AEDC and is aimed at businesses that earn (or plan to earn) 51%+ of revenue from outside the Amarillo MSA.Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Airline Partners finalize historic use-and-lease agreements - Jan 7, 2026
AUS locked in the airline and cargo lease agreements that basically fund the next chapter of expansion, the “cost-recovery” model where carriers pay their share through rents and fees. This is the backbone for a multi-billion program that’s expanding capacity and improving the passenger experience.Governor Abbott announces TSIF grant to Texas State Technical College - Jan 8, 2026
The state is sending $3.5M from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund to TSTC’s Williamson County campus in Hutto for a 10-week accelerated semiconductor technician program. Another real signal that Texas is trying to build the workforce pipeline alongside the fabs and suppliers.OpenAI, SoftBank invest $1 billion in SB Energy as Stargate buildout expands - Jan 9, 2026
OpenAI and SoftBank are each putting in $500M into SB Energy, tied to “Stargate” infrastructure, including a 1.2-gigawatt data center site in Milam County. It’s another reminder that the new mega-deals are basically power deals wearing a tech hoodie.City of Dallas Awards Economic Development Incentive to Atlético Dallas - Jan 9, 2026
Dallas approved an incentive package supporting Atlético Dallas relocating its HQ from Richardson to Expo Park, leasing about 12,000 sq ft near Fair Park. The plan includes retaining 12 jobs and creating up to 85 new jobs over five years, plus some street-level activation tied to the district.Dallas-based Comerica Bank to lay off 184 employees at Frisco office - Jan 9, 2026
Comerica filed notice for 184 layoffs at its Frisco Star Tower location, with separations starting March 13, 2026. No role details were listed in the notice, but it’s the kind of workforce shock that can ripple fast if the region doesn’t move quickly on reemployment support.Texas seals Eli Lilly deal as $6.5B plant lands in Houston - Jan 9, 2026
The JETI tax agreement tied to Lilly’s $6.5B Houston-area manufacturing project was posted as official this week, taking it from “announced” into “fully documented.” The project targets 600+ jobs and a major construction cycle, and it’s a good example of how quickly Texas moves when the project size is real.Microsoft bets $400M on tiny Texas town with new massive data center - Jan 11, 2026
Microsoft is planning a new Castroville (Medina County) data center tagged SAT 82, listed at $400M and about 195,000 sq ft. Records show construction slated to start Aug. 13, 2026 and run into 2028, and locals are already focused on traffic and water use.
Mineral Money, Stable Employers, Predictable Rules: Why Cuero Holds Up
Issue 25
B.L.U.F. Cuero is running a classic low-rate, high-cash play. The city adopted a $0.31000 total property tax rate for FY2025 (FY2024-2025), but the ordinance states the rate “will effectively be raised” by 10.03% because values climbed fast enough to lift collections anyway.
The bigger story is the tax base under the city. In DeWitt County’s 2024 appraisal data, oil, gas, and mineral reserves are listed at $7.54B in market value, roughly 89% of the categories shown in the county’s value table. That mineral base helps steady the floor, even when everything else is noisy.
Cuero’s edge is not that it is “growing faster than everyone.” It is that it can keep services competitive without pushing the tax rate as hard as places that live or die by rooftops.
City Financial Profile
Cuero’s FY2025 posture is about capturing valuation lift while keeping the headline rate calm, then using that flexibility to fund priorities without constant ballot trips.
Tax rate strategy (FY2025): Total rate adopted at $0.31000 per $100 valuation, split into $0.25735 M&O and $0.05265 I&S. The ordinance states the rate “will effectively be raised” 10.03% due to increased property values.
Year-over-year comparison (FY2024 to FY2025): FY2024 total rate was $0.31749 (M&O $0.25513, I&S $0.06236) and the FY2024 ordinance stated an effective increase of 7.17%.
Budgeted property tax lift (FY2025): The city’s budget notice states property tax revenue will rise by $96,513 (7.48%) versus last year, including $12,634 attributed to new property value.
Takeaway: Cuero’s play is less about “raising rates” and more about quietly harvesting valuation growth. The mineral-heavy county base gives Cuero room to keep the headline rate low while still funding real-world needs.
Economic Drivers
Cuero’s economy reads like a two-layer system, steady paychecks from institutions, plus upside from mineral and energy-linked activity.
Mineral value as the regional ceiling: DeWitt CAD’s 2024 report lists $7.54B in oil, gas, and mineral reserves market value.
Employer base, but dated: The widely-circulated “Major Employers” sheet lists Cuero’s top employers, but it is dated August 2016, so it should be treated as directional, not current.
Income stratification signal: Data USA shows unusually high median earnings in Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate for 2023, which fits a mineral-rights and asset-management ecosystem.
Takeaway: Cuero’s floor is stability, its ceiling is asset-linked wealth. That mix can support better retail and housing than the “small town” label suggests, but only if the product matches the split between high earners and service wages.
Business Climate and Growth Indicators
Cuero’s advantage is clarity. The city has put key rules and fees in place that reduce surprises for builders and small operators.
Unified Development Code (UDC): The city states it adopted a Unified Development Code on September 22, 2015.
Predictable fees: The city’s published fee schedule includes $35 for building permit issuance and a valuation fee of $10 per $1,000.
Residential workflow (2021 packet): The Building Department publishes a “NEW 2021 Residential Applications” packet, signaling an updated, standardized intake for homebuilding.
CDC structure and funding: The CDC site states voters approved a dedicated sales tax in 1995 to fund the Cuero Development Corporation as a Type B corporation.
CDC programs are specific, not vibes: Programs for FY2024-2025 include Business Support Programs, a Façade Program, and a Business Start-Up Program+ with defined caps and eligibility.
Takeaway: Cuero has done the boring work that makes deal flow easier, code clarity, fee clarity, and a CDC (Cuero Development Corporation) that can write checks with rules attached.
Opportunity Gaps
Cuero has the tax base strength and the rules foundation. The gaps are mostly “product gaps,” meaning the market needs better-fit services and housing to match who already earns money there.
Market Opportunity: Outpatient diagnostics and rehab cluster near existing medical demand.
The Need / Gap it addresses: A mineral-linked region still needs everyday healthcare capacity. The city’s published employer list shows healthcare as a major job center, but the list is dated, so the real gap should be validated with current provider inventory.
Market Opportunity: Building and trades that serve industrial maintenance and public works.
The Need / Gap it addresses: A county tax base dominated by mineral value tends to translate into ongoing demand for maintenance, fabrication, and infrastructure contractors, especially when the city is capturing valuation lift and funding projects.
Market Opportunity: “Missing middle” workforce housing, modern but not luxury.
The Need / Gap it addresses: QuickFacts lists Cuero’s median home value at $185,600, which suggests the market is still priced for attainable inventory, but the income split shown in earnings data points to unmet demand for newer, higher-quality mid-tier homes.
Takeaway: These opportunities are less about “inventing demand” and more about matching supply to the city’s unusual income mix, stable institutions, and tax base cushion.
Closing Insight
Cuero’s real advantage is that it can stay calm on the surface while still generating cash under the hood. That tends to produce steadier services and fewer “panic cycles,” which is exactly what builders and operators want when they are deciding where to place capital.
Next Town: Coleman, Texas
Have a great week! See you next Monday.
Grateful,
Omegadson
P.S. Don’t forget to connect with and follow Texas Street on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Brilliant breakdown of how mineral wealth can cushion the tax base without flashy headlines. The fact that Cuero's harvesting valuation growth rather than cranking rates shows they actually understand the longterm game. I've seen smaller municiplities try to manufacture boom cycles instead of locking in stable revenue streams like this, and it usually ends with scrambling for state bailouts. That 89% mineral concentration is both a blessing and a risk profile that most EDO's wont touch in public conversations.
Brilliant breakdown of how Cuero's $7.54B mineral base creates a totally different tax dynamic. The real insight here is that they can harvest valuaiton growth without constantly adjusting rates, which gives builders and operators way more certainty. I've seen this play out in a few oilpatch towns where the steady cash flow lets them invest in infrastracture without the panic cycles that scare off serious capital. This kind of economic cushion makes the boring stuff like permitting fee schedules and UDC actually matter, because people know the rules won't get flipped next fiscal year.