im F o H d
CITY OF WYLIE
Happenings at Home - State of the City The drone of the Wylie Pipes and Drums Corp sounded and the joint Honor Guard comprised of members from Wylie Fire Rescue and Wylie Police Department entered the Collin College Event Center to post the colors, signaling the start of the State of the City Address. The packed room stood at attention as Pastor Jake Vicknair from New Hope Christian Church led the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by Representative Candy Noble. Mayor Matthew Porter then took the stage to deliver his annual update on City projects, activities, and milestones over the past year at the special Chamber of Commerce luncheon. After thanking those in attendance, he began the speech looking at Wylie’s tremendous growth of 40% over the past decade, bringing Wylie’s current population to just over 60,000 residents. The 560 residential permits issued last year reflect our continued growth. Porter reiterated that planning for quality development on the City’s remaining land was a high priority with an update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, a document that captures the community’s vision for growth, development, and preservation, and acts as a guidebook for decision-makers. He thanked the
January/February 1010| | THECONNECTION| |March/April 2022 2022
CONN MA22 20-PAGE-GUTS.indd 10
by Craig Kelly
planning committee for their hard work and dedication to the project and encouraged those in attendance to get involved in the process. Following praise of City Staff and the public for their response to the most recent winter storms, Porter touted an 11% drop (8 cents) in the tax rate over the last four years. He noted the City Council decreased taxes 2.8 cents to .64 cents per $100 assessed valuation this past year. Citizens can get a snapshot of where property taxes go and how they are spent using the Property Tax Calculator at WylieTexas.gov/Budget. Future projects then took the center stage including the passage of three bond proposals last November focused on improving infrastructure in neighborhoods, on city streets, and throughout our Historic Downtown. Porter thanked the 14-member Citizens Bond Committee and community groups that helped shape the $51 million package the City Council finalized and presented to the public. For a complete look at the bond program go to WylieTexas.gov/Bond. Traffic due to growth is always a challenge, and those in attendance were no doubt happy to hear about intersection
A Wylie Chamber of Commerce Publication
2/25/22 4:12 PM
P p h q m r $ b F e
D t D h in F
