McAllen Mayor Richard F. Cortez addressed the economy, job growth, goals for 2010 and McAllen’s “Go Green” efforts at State of the City 2010, Thursday, at the McAllen Convention Center.
The event, themed “McAllen Goes Green: Sustain, Recycle, Conserve”, highlighted ongoing “Go Green” initiatives with video vignettes, live speakers, recycling and hybrid vehicles, displays of items made from recycled material and live native plants and trees. Even the menu was eco friendly with organic foods.
The City of McAllen’s “Go Green” campaign was showcased recently at the National League of Cities Expo in San Antonio. Many of its green projects, spearheaded by Public Works, have also garnered state and national recognition. Some of the programs and events include Save the Greens, the Green Living Festival, Street Recycling, Recycling and Composting Operations, New Demonstration Compost Gardens, and Regional Detention Facilities. Others include a Forestry Program, Glass Pulverizing and Keep McAllen Beautiful’s tree ordinance and plastic bag initiative. The Public Works Department has also purchased the city’s first electric vehicle.
“We recognize that ‘Going Green’ can actually reduce costs and help us attract progressive companies and people to our area,” said Mayor Cortez. “But, we want to do so in cost effective, efficient and sustainable ways, encouraging, not necessarily mandating businesses and residents to take steps to help us become a more environmentally friendly city.”
Guests of State of the City 2010 received green action cards with tips on going green at home and at work. They were also invited to the 4th Annual RGV Urban Forestry Conference running concurrently with State of the City.
On the economy, Mayor Cortez acknowledged that McAllen felt the impact of the economic recession. Sales tax revenue, the city's most important source of income, was down over 7 percent in fiscal 2009.
However, Mayor Cortez announced that McAllen fared better than most cities, during the recession, “Although we have felt the economic downturn, our city does remain financially strong. Our general obligation debt is less than $4 million dollars, and our total fund balances were in excess of $226 million dollars at the end of the fiscal year. Also, in the midst of a recession, our bond rating, a KEY indicator of how the financial markets view our city was upgraded —UPGRADED— to double A plus, the HIGHEST rating of any city along the border. The wonderful thing about our American economy in general and McAllen in particular, is our ability to rebound.”
The Brookings Institute recently reported that of the top 100 metro areas in the nation, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area was number one in the nation with actual job GROWTH during the third quarter of 2009. A similar report indicated that this area is the FIRST IN THE NATION to return to pre-recession levels of output and employment.
Mayor Cortez also praised the McAllen Economic Development Corporation for attracting business and creating jobs, even during these challenging times. The McAllen Economic Development Corporation actually relocated a total of 29 new companies, 14 in McAllen and 15 in Reynosa, with total jobs created by these new and expanded companies of 6,295, (1,288 in McAllen and 5,007 in Reynosa).
Several federal, state and local dignitaries, border city mayors and the Governor of Veracruz, Fidel Herrera Beltran were present for the Mayor’s address.
Despite challenges in 2009, McAllen welcomed the opening of the new Anzalduas Bridge, the opening of a new UTPA Teaching Site and the installation of a WiFi Video Surveillance System.
Upcoming projects include construction of the new main library, the addition of new Parks, and the expansion of Bicentennial Boulevard. The City of McAllen is also considering re-designs of the Boeye Reservoir and remains in talks to lure a major automobile manufacturing plant.
Mayor Cortez said he looks to a bright future for McAllen and said he finds more people saying, “Let’s meet in McAllen.”
“People meet here for a variety of reasons—shopping, dining, entertainment, business—but mainly they meet, and they live, in McAllen because ‘quality of life’ is important,” he added. “No matter which aspect of quality of life is important to you, McAllen can add value to your life in many ways—and we intend to improve and enhance those lifestyle choices.”
The Mayor’s State of the City Address in its entirety is available for download below.
Download Mayor's 2010 State of the City Address