Mayor Tom Reid delivered his annual State of the City address Thursday (Feb. 11) at First Church. Sponsored by the Pearland Chamber of Commerce, approximately 375 Chamber members, guests, citizens, City officials and state dignitaries were in attendance.
His presentation, called, “Building Momentum,” touched on the rapid growth of the city and how City departments have performed in handling that growth.
“Our rapid growth challenges us to continue strong management policies and controls to maintain fiscal stability and quality services with the lowest tax rate,” Mayor Reid said.
Pearland is now the third largest city by population in the Houston Gulf Coast Area, with approximately 139,300 residents in the City’s “footprint,” which includes the City itself as well as its Extra Territorial Jurisdictions (ETJs).
Mayor Reid took a moment to recognize senior City staff, including City Manager Clay Pearson, Deputy City Manager Jon Branson, Assistant City Manager Trent Epperson and Executive Manager of Development Services and Pearland Economic Development Corporation President Matt Buchanan.
The Mayor also recognized several City departments that received awards in 2015, including the Fire Marshal’s Office, the Finance, Communications, Community Development and Parks and Recreation Departments.
“We have a first class staff and because they are the cream of the crop. They are continually recognized for their efforts,” Reid said.
The Mayor also shared some little-known facts about “Pearland gems.” Koza’s was awarded a contract with New Era Cap Co. to produce the championship headwear for the 2015 World Series and the 2016 Super Bowl. Dr. Mario Garner, the new CEO of the Pearland Memorial Hermann Medical Complex, was recently named the Young Healthcare Executive of the Year by the American College of Healthcare Executives. Pearland’s Katie Garza earned the national title Mrs. United States 2015 in Las Vegas. The new Texas Secretary of State, Carlos Cascos, selected Pearland for his first stop on a tour of Texas cities to assess the economic status of the state. Pearland’s Coach John Turner hosted the 19th Texas Volleyball Invitational, the nation’s largest girl’s high school volleyball tournament.
Reid also mentioned a well-known, yet repeatable, fact: The Pearland Little League All Stars made their third trip in five years to the Little League World Series. They are currently ranked third best in the world and second best in the nation out of 7,000 American teams.
Moving to the financial side of things, Reid mentioned major economic developments that have moved or relocated to Pearland in the past year. Pearland Medical Center and MHI Compressor International have established roots in the City, and TOOL-FLO Manufacturing, Methodist Primary Care Group and Memorial Hermann Acute Care Hospital are expected to open their doors this year.
Mayor Reid finished his presentation by giving a “To-Do” list for the city, which included: Continuing to build a business environment that will attract high value residential, industrial, medical and retail developments; continuing to brand Pearland as a Destination City and plan for museums, cultural amenities, shopping and dining opportunities; continuing good stewardship of tax dollars with careful planning for infrastructure and services to manage the City’s rapid growth, quality of life and small town atmosphere; and continuing the City’s momentum and achievements over the past year, and move Pearland to the next level as a quality city of the future.
The Mayor’s State of the City address will be broadcast on Pearland TV (Comcast channel 16 and AT&T U-verse Ch. 99) daily at 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. beginning Feb. 29 until March 31.
For more information, visit PearlandTX.gov/StateOfTheCity.
The Law Office of Mark Smith, PLLC was awarded the February 2016 Business of the Month Award by the Pearland Chamber of Commerce. The business was founded in 2003 with the primary goal of helping people. Licensed attorneys provide high-quality legal services and business advice to small-businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profits. Offices are located at 1920 Country Place Parkway, Suite 350.
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