Welcome to District VII

Welcome to the District 7 homepage, where you can find information about past projects and current events happening in our district. Our district is in a rapidly growing part of North West Laredo, with new developments springing up every month and many new residents calling this District their home. 

To contact your Council Member, please email, phone, or submit an online message. I welcome your comments and look forward to hearing from you.

Resources

• Texas Department of Transportation Web Cameras
• Adopted 2022 Redistricting Information
• Liquid Waste Collection Survey
• Veterans Affairs and Committee Information

Biography

Honorable Mayor Pro-Tempore and Council Member District VII Vanessa Perez, CPM

Vanessa Perez, a Laredo native, made history as the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the Red McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin in 2004. Her dedication to education led her to become a Certified Texas Educator, where she served as a highly qualified middle school mathematics teacher.

A strong advocate for continuous learning and lifelong development, Vanessa’s commitment to professional growth was recognized in 2024 when she received her Texas Certified Public Manager distinction from Texas A&M International University’s inaugural Elected Official Cohort.

In 2023, Vanessa made history as the first female Council Member to represent District 7.  She was selected by her peers to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore in 2023 and was recently reappointed in 2025.  Only one other Council Member has held this esteemed position twice during their tenure.

Vanessa is serving her second, and final, term as council member.  She and her husband Andres are raising their three beautiful children Andres Jr., Madison, and Joshua. 

Vanessa has advocated for fair and transparent government, better planning, zoning and infrastructure, fair representation, inclusion, economic development, health, safety, and overall better policies and practices for a better city.

Currently, she serves as a Mayor’s appointee on several committees, including the City of Laredo Veteran Affairs Committee, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Public Safety Advisory, Audit and Accountability, South Texas Development Council, and City-County Government Issues.

Some of the more noticeable changes she has made in office include:

•        the establishment of the Laredo Port of Entry Advisory Committee, where leaders in trade meet to ensure a healthy Port Laredo;

•        Co-founding the Clean Air Laredo Coalition alongside the Rio Grande International Study Center to tackle air pollution in response to reports that Laredo has an increased risk of Cancer from ethylene oxide (eto) emissions from a medical sterilizer plant in her district. She advocates for improved Environmental Protection Agency rules and practices, air monitoring for EtO, and phase out of the use of known carcinogens;

•        the establishment of the Laredo Autism Coalition to address autism spectrum needs; the coalition formed the All Kinds of Minds Master Plan, a first of its kind guide to shape City practices and move Laredo towards a more inclusive, understanding, and accommodating city;

•        prioritization of safety, infrastructure, and smart growth for the FM 1472/Mines Road corridor;

•        advocacy for a women’s Veteran Group in the Veterans Affairs Committee.

Vanessa Perez has a history of identifying problems, organizing people, and helping formulate solutions. She believes in leaving places better than you found them and always looking towards the future. She will continue to serve the community that she loves.

District Map

District VII Map

District Demographics & Statistical Data