The City of Pharr City Manager is Dr. Jonathan B. Flores, the chief administrative officer responsible for running the municipality’s day-to-day operations under Pharr’s home-rule, council-manager form of government. The elected City Commission sets policy; the City Manager executes it, oversees every department, prepares the budget, and manages personnel. The office is located at 118 S. Cage Boulevard, 4th Floor, and can be reached at (956) 402-4000.1City of Pharr. City Directory
Who Dr. Jonathan B. Flores Is
Flores is a Pharr native with more than 22 years of law enforcement experience. Before taking the city’s top administrative job, he served as Chief of Police and Assistant City Manager for the neighboring City of Alton in the Rio Grande Valley.2City of Pharr. City of Pharr Names Dr. Jonathan B. Flores as City Manager He holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), reflecting a focus on organizational leadership. He served as Interim City Manager first, and the City Commission then formally appointed him to the permanent role.
Pharr sits along the U.S.-Mexico border and has roughly 81,000 residents, so the manager’s job pulls in federal and international coordination that smaller Texas cities rarely see.
What the City Manager Does
Texas law frames the position broadly: the city manager administers the municipality’s business, and the governing body ensures that administration stays efficient. The governing body can also delegate additional powers by ordinance whenever it considers that useful for running city affairs.3State of Texas. Texas Local Government Code Title 2 – Section 25.029
In practice, the role covers several concrete responsibilities:
- Drafting and submitting the annual budget to the City Commission, then administering spending after approval. Pharr’s FY 2023–2024 budget was $209 million, including a $135 million capital improvement program, and more recent cycles have exceeded $270 million.4City of Pharr. City of Pharr Commission Approves FY 2023-2024 Budget
- Appointing, disciplining, and removing department heads and most city employees. Commissioners generally do not intervene in individual hiring or firing.
- Overseeing every city department. All departments report up through the manager, who coordinates service delivery across divisions.
- Keeping the commission informed about the city’s fiscal condition, both at regular meetings and through special reports the commission may request.
- Executing and enforcing ordinances and resolutions the commission passes.
- Monitoring compliance with state and federal grant requirements. Falling out of compliance can trigger clawback provisions.
The manager attends commission meetings and offers professional recommendations but does not vote.
How the Manager Is Appointed and Removed
The City Commission holds the exclusive power to appoint the City Manager. In Pharr, that body consists of the Mayor and four commissioners. The manager serves at the pleasure of the commission, meaning the commission can end the relationship subject to whatever terms exist in the manager’s employment agreement.
That at-will arrangement is the central accountability mechanism. There is no fixed term. Texas city manager contracts typically include severance provisions for termination without cause, often equal to several months of salary, and usually exclude severance when termination follows misconduct such as criminal convictions or civil rights violations.
The counterweight is operational independence. Commissioners set direction and approve the budget; the system works best when they stay out of personnel decisions and daily management.
Current Priorities Under Flores
The largest active project under his administration is the $44 million expansion of the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge and its inspection facilities. The bridge handles roughly 65 percent of all produce entering the United States from Mexico and supports more than $47 billion in annual trade. The expansion adds a twin span with four new lanes, upgrades federal inspection docks, and includes a new cold inspection facility for refrigerated agricultural checks alongside a regional laboratory for agriculture specialists.5City of Pharr. City of Pharr to Hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for Bridge Expansion and DAP 16 Project
In February 2026, Flores received the National Public Service Award, which the awarding body described as recognition of “a sustained record of transformational municipal leadership and measurable impact on the City of Pharr.” The recognition cited his work on fiscal sustainability, equity-focused community programs, and leadership development within the city workforce.6City of Pharr. Pharr City Manager Dr. Jonathan B. Flores Receives National Public Service Award
Contacting the City Manager’s Office
The Pharr City Manager’s Office is at 118 S. Cage Boulevard, 4th Floor. The phone number is (956) 402-4000.1City of Pharr. City Directory Residents who want to raise concerns directly with the manager can also attend regular City Commission meetings, where he participates in open discussion. Departmental contacts and schedules for upcoming meetings and public hearings are posted at pharr-tx.gov.