During Brownsville's annual State of the City Address, Mayor John Cowen highlighted different accomplishments on Wednesday. 

One focus was the city's investment in infrastructure, as the city funded 30 street improvement projects in 2024.

Cowen also talked about the growth when it comes to construction of residential and commercial properties last year.

“We can do more for our residents as more development comes to Brownsville in the industrial and commercial space,” Cowen said. “We're going to continue to push for that, I think that's really important and that’s why you're seeing our $300 million improvement plan in place to take care of our streets, our drainage."

Another highlight was the economic development and job growth in the city. Cowen said SpaceX contributed to the growing economy

According to the city, SpaceX has invested $3.2 billion, and created more than 3,000 direct jobs and 21,000 indirect jobs since 2014.

LNG projects are responsible for creating more than 2,000 jobs, Cowen said.

However, before and during the State of the City Address, a group of around a dozen people protested against the corporations over the pollution it brings to the environment

Over 10,000 signatures from a petition have also been sent to the Brownsville city commission condemning Elon Musk and SpaceX.

“We have an open door policy, they can always come and talk to me,” Cowen said. I'm aware of their petition. A majority of these signatures came from outside of the region."

Watch the video above for the full story.