page_title: Brownsville, Texas
section_title: Government
hierarchical_section_title: Brownsville, Texas / Government
caption_attribution_description: English: Brownsville, Texas U.S. Court House, Custom House, and Post Office (1933) Completed in 1931. Supervising Architect: James A. Wetmore Building used by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Now Brownsville City Hall.
context_page_description: Brownsville is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers 81.528 square miles and has a population of 182,781 as of 2019. It is the 131st-largest city in the United States and 16th-largest in Texas. It is part of the Brownsville–Matamoros conurbation. The city is known for its year-round subtropical climate, deep-water seaport, and Hispanic culture.
  The city was founded in 1848 by American entrepreneur Charles Stillman after he developed a successful river boat company nearby. It was named after Major Jacob Brown, who fought and died while serving as a U.S. Army soldier during the Mexican–American War. As the city is the seat of government for the county of Cameron, the city and county government are major employers. Other primary employers fall within the service, trade and manufacturing industries, including a growing aerospace and space transportation sector. It operates international trading through the Port of Brownsville. The city experienced a population increase in the early 1900s when steel production flourished.
context_section_description: Brownsville has a council–manager government. The mayor and a six-member city commission are selected in nonpartisan elections. Four members are elected from geographic districts; the remaining two members are elected at-large. Since Brownsville is the county seat of Cameron County, many county offices are in Brownsville. The city's public library system has two branches. The primary law enforcement agency for the city is the Brownsville Police Department. The Brownsville Fire Department has nine stations around the city; its central office is located on the eastern side of the city.
  Most of Brownsville is represented by two county commissioners of the five-member Commissioners' Court (one member, the County Judge, represents all of Cameron County). County offices are partisan; the Democratic and Republican Parties hold primaries in March of the year that their office term expires.
  The City of Brownsville falls under two Texas House of Representatives districts. Each representative has a two-year term and is elected in the same manner as other partisan elected officials. The elected representatives include, District 37: Alex Dominguez (D) (since 2019), and District 38: Eddie Lucio, III (D) (since 2007). Brownsville is represented by Texas Senatorial District 27, the incumbent senator is Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D) (since 1991). The city is represented by Texas's 34th congressional district. The incumbent Representative is Filemon Vela Jr. (D) (since 2013).
  The city holds several federal office buildings. The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Brownsville. Downtown Brownsville is served by the Old Federal Courthouse; it is now used as a City Hall. The National Weather Service operates an office and a Nexrad weather radar site in east Brownsville. They provide forecasts and radar coverage for Deep South Texas and the adjacent coastal waters. Other federal building located within the city limits of Brownsville include: Social Security Administration and the Reynaldo G. Garza – Filemon B. Vela United States Courthouse. Military buildings and battle sites include the Brownsville Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) host units from the United States Army Reserve and the Texas Army National Guard, and the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).
caption: Picture of the Old Federal Courthouse; it currently serves as Brownsville's City Hall
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