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State of the City: Building on the success of our bicentennial year

This past week the City of Victoria Mayor Duane Crocker addressed the community. Here is what he has to say about the direction of our great city in 2024-2025

"During my recent State of the City address, I had the pleasure of highlighting a few milestones from the past year and sharing a sneak preview of some upcoming projects. Victoria has many challenges and opportunities ahead, and we must continue working diligently to stay on the path to prosperity.

One of the most exciting projects that has been completed so far this year is the De Leon Plaza expansion project. The newly expanded plaza has hosted 25 special events since its reopening, and it is booked every weekend until the start of 2025, not to mention the many residents who visit the plaza each day to eat lunch, take photos or simply enjoy the beauty of the area.

The ribbon-cutting for the plaza was held on April 13, 2024—200 years from the date Victoria was founded. The day began with residents uniting for service projects across the city, giving back in a way that only Victoria can. The celebration continued as we cut the ribbon at the plaza, unveiled a statue of Victoria’s founders and enjoyed an elegant ball at the community center.

De Leon Plaza was again at the forefront during Tejas Fest earlier this month. Based on preliminary estimates, the total weekend attendance was about twice what we’ve seen at previous fall festivals, with residents descending on the plaza to enjoy country and Tejano music, vendors and many family-friendly activities.

The past year also saw the groundbreaking for our new Public Safety Headquarters, which will be completed in fall 2025. We know that our public safety personnel outgrew their current facilities a long time ago; the new facility will give the Victoria Police Department, Victoria Fire Department administration and Municipal Court the tools and space they need to continue serving the public.

We are not slowing down on street repairs, either. This fiscal year, we will spend more than $28 million on street repairs throughout Victoria. Since fiscal year 2022, we have invested more than $100 million in our streets, more than double compared to FY 2017-2021.

We also continue to be guided by the recommendations of our master plans, including the new master plan for the Victoria Community Center. The community center has great potential as an economic driver that could improve our ability to host conferences, rodeos and other types of events. The proposed renovations include a brand-new arena that will be able to host rodeo events and concerts, with the existing arena being converted into a large expo hall.

Victoria is primed for development, but it won’t just be delivered to our doorstep. We will continue collaborating with local agencies such as the county, the port, the airport and the Victoria Sales Tax Development Corporation as we seek to attract new businesses and development to grow our tax base.

Victoria has been one of the best places to live for more than 200 years. Let’s face the challenges of the future head-on to ensure that our community continues to grow stronger, better, and more vibrant in the next two centuries."

You are always welcome to reach out and communicate with the mayor by clicking here

WORST ROADS IN VICTORIA

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