Murphy Chamber October luncheon
Chamber Chair Steve Long, right, thanks Mayor Bret Baldwin
for presenting the State of the City Address at the
October Chamber meeting.
Working together, city, residents, Chamber
make city great, Mayor Baldwin says
Submitted by the Murphy Chamber of Commerce
Mayor Baldwin gave the State of the City address at the Oct. 18 Chamber luncheon, catered by Cristina's Fine Mexican Restaurant.
Baldwin praised City Manager James Fisher, his executive team and city staff for the progress Murphy has seen.
"They've fostered a culture of customer service and camaraderie and have the knowledge to get things done," Baldwin said.
He said the city's vision statement, "Murphy will remain a vibrant, family-oriented, distinctive city that fosters a strong sense of community and connection between its local government and citizens," directs everything from the Comprehensive Plan to capital and bond projects.
"Our capital improvement and bond projects, along with the interactive relationships between city employees, residents and the Chamber, are what makes our city great," Baldwin said.
Project highlights of the past year include the dedication of three new parks (Aviary, Brentwood and Travis Farms), beginning remodeling work on the Murphy Community Center, the opening of the Murphy Activities Center and successful public events such as Movies in the Park and Picnic by the Pond. Maize Days brought in around 6,000 people.
Several green initiatives were continued or started, among them the Great American Clean-up, Keep Texas Beautiful and the North Texas Regional Tree Planting Initiative.
On the financial side, Baldwin pointed out that since 2005, the city's bond rating has improved to AA- with a stable outlook and that the tax rate has been kept low.
He also noted city accolades such as being named 27th on Money Magazine's list of Best Cities, by population, and consistently being selected for D Magazine's Top 10 Suburbs list.
"By continuing to work hard together and working our comprehensive plan, we are building bridges with other state and local agencies, associations and other cities and gaining credibility," Baldwin concluded.
