SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 515
WHEREAS, Residents from Collin County are gathering in
Austin on March 28 and 29, 2017, to celebrate Collin County Days
at the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Collin County is one of the largest and
fastest-growing counties in the state; more than 90 percent of
its workforce over the age of 25 hold a high school diploma and
about half have earned at least a bachelor's degree; such highly
skilled workers also make the county a leader in job growth; and
WHEREAS, With a population of 277,000, Plano is the largest
city in the county and home to six Fortune 1000 companies,
including JC Penney, Alliance Data Systems, Cinemark Holdings,
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Rent-A-Center, and Denbury Resources;
Toyota has established its North American headquarters in Plano,
as has Hilti Corporation; the city has been named the number one
Best Place to Live in America and the Best Place to Live in Texas
by Money magazine, the number one city to find a job by WalletHub,
and the fifth-ranked 2016 Best Performing City by the Milken
Institute; this thriving municipality boasts nationally
recognized schools, award-winning parks, a lively historic
downtown district, and multicultural neighborhoods that appeal
equally to families, young singles, and retirees; its excellent
restaurants, vibrant shopping districts, exciting entertainment
venues, and active local arts scene all contribute to the city's
high quality of life; and
WHEREAS, County seat and home of the McKinney National
Airport, the city of McKinney hosts such major employers as the
aerospace division of Raytheon Company, Encore Wire Corporation,
Emerson Process Management, and Torchmark Corporation; recent
relocations include Service First Mortgage and Aramark's first
"clean room" in Texas; furthermore, the city's historic downtown
encompasses more than 130 boutiques, and it earned the ranking of
#1 Best Place to Live 2014 from Money magazine; and
WHEREAS, Allen is a dynamic and welcoming home to more than
98,000 residents and has been ranked among the safest, most
affordable, and most family-friendly cities nationwide, and the
city continues enhancing the Texas workforce through the
addition and expansion of such international companies as KONE,
IntelliEPI, and WatchGuard Video; in 2016, the city received the
coveted National Recreation and Park Association Gold Medal
award for its creation and stewardship of more than 1,100 acres
of parkland, 67 parks and facilities, and 62 miles of
hike-and-bike trails; moreover, its volunteer efforts were
recognized with the 2016 Keep Texas Beautiful Governor's
Community Achievement Award for efforts in environmental
education, community beautification, and litter prevention; and
WHEREAS, Defining "Progress in Motion," Frisco is one of
the fastest-growing cities in the country and the
fastest-growing community over the past decade, according to the
United States census bureau; it has maintained its quality of
life amid rapid development, and the Dallas Morning News named
Frisco among its top 10 suburbs for schools, safety, families
with children, young adults, empty nesters, and "Best Overall"
neighborhoods; known for top-notch public safety services, the
city received the highest rating for fire protection, and it
enjoys one of the lowest crime rates, as well as low taxes; this
once-small town is home to Collin College, Preston Ridge Campus,
world-class venues, and five professional sports teams, namely
the Frisco Roughriders, Dallas Stars, FC Dallas, Texas Legends,
and Dallas Cowboys; active residents have access to 49 parks, 86
miles of trails, and an athletic center featuring an outdoor
water park; health care facilities include three hospitals, and
the favorable business climate supports more than nine million
square feet of retail and restaurants; among the cultural
amenities are three museums and hundreds of public and private
art installations displayed throughout Frisco's approximately
70-square-mile area; and
WHEREAS, The City of Wylie, Wylie Independent School
District, Wylie Chamber of Commerce, and Wylie Economic
Development Corporation work in concert to build a strong
community that strives to honor the past, embrace the present,
and plan for the future, while valuing unity, relationships, and
trust, as evidenced by a recent report naming Wylie the best
small city in the country in which to raise a family, and the
hottest suburb in Texas; Wylie fosters a spirit of cooperation,
and with a thriving business environment and outstanding
schools, it is a place people treasure and proudly call home; and
WHEREAS, The city of Richardson, which is known globally
for its high-tech business leadership, is home to the Telecom
Corridor area; Richardson offers a high quality of life, a
diverse array of neighborhoods, and easy access to a multimodal
transportation infrastructure; the city has repeatedly been
recognized as one of the top places to live, work, and obtain an
education by national and local media, and it remains dedicated
to continued improvement as well as to the principles of open
government and two-way communication with residents; and
WHEREAS, The city of Murphy, an affluent residential
community in southeastern Collin County, has maintained its
designation as a top 10 Best Suburb by D magazine since the
inception of the ratings; Murphy boasts over 219 acres of
parkland, and it has rich community programs along with a
culturally diverse, highly educated population of over 20,000;
exciting new businesses have joined an engaging business
community, and residents take pride in the city's ranking as the
third-safest city in North Texas and the fifth safest in the
state; and
WHEREAS, Recognized by D magazine as a top 10 suburb,
Prosper issued 669 single-family housing permits in 2016, and the
city has 1.1 million square feet of commercial development under
construction with an additional 530,000 square feet of
shovel-ready projects due to break ground in 2017; it is home to
several top housing developers, including Blue Star Development,
LandPlan Development, and Terra Verde Group; the Prosper
Independent School District has been voted by the Dallas Morning
News as one of the Top 10 Places to Work in Dallas/Fort Worth for
three consecutive years, and the district continues to be one of
the state and national leaders in student growth; moreover, the
city's outstanding police department offers such community
outreach and crime prevention programs as Citizens on Patrol, the
Citizens Police Academy, the Community Safety Initiative, and
Smart911; and
WHEREAS, Having been a platinum-level Scenic City in Texas
since 2011, Fairview has also been recognized as a Tree City USA
and earned a 2011 Growing Green Cities Award, and it is home to
the first street in Texas to be illuminated by LED lighting; the
town is a three-time recipient of the Texas Municipal League
Municipal Excellence Award, and it earned a Certificate of
Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the
Government Finance Officers Association for fiscal years ending
in 2014 and 2015; moreover, the Texas Chapter of the American
Planning Association honored Fairview with a Certificate of
Achievement for Planning Excellence in 2015 and 2016, and the
town's Veterans Park has been recognized with a Patriotic
Achievement Award from the Military Order of the World Wars;
Fairview also features two of the Top 25 Best School Districts in
Texas as ranked by Niche.com; and
WHEREAS, The crossroads of the developing transportation
corridor in northern Collin County, Celina is growing rapidly
while retaining its respect for the traditional values of family
and heritage; its school district is rich in academic and
athletic achievement, with the Celina Bobcats earning pride of
place as the winners of eight state football championships; and
WHEREAS, Lucas has maintained a peaceful, rural lifestyle,
helping to sustain a high quality of life for its citizens; the
city is pleased to offer 25 miles of trails along Lake Lavon for
equestrian enthusiasts and continues to focus on wildlife
habitat preservation, making it the perfect home for the
Blackland Prairie Raptor Center; moreover, exceptional schools
and a vibrant residential market, combined with one of the lowest
tax rates in Collin County, make Lucas an excellent value for its
residents; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of Parker are proud to be living in D
magazine's number two suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex,
and they also enjoy a low municipal tax rate, as well as a AAA
bond rating; the residents number about 4,500, and they cherish
their uniquely "country" lifestyle; characterized by its large
lots and comfortable atmosphere, Parker is known to millions of
television viewers as the home of the legendary Southfork Ranch
from Dallas; and
WHEREAS, One of the fastest-growing cities in the
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the city of Anna is a
family-friendly community with hometown appeal; its residents
enjoy an unhurried and friendly atmosphere, with safe
neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access to many urban
amenities; local businesses benefit from affordable real estate,
a low cost of doing business, a well-educated workforce, an
active chamber of commerce, and dedicated consumers; and
WHEREAS, Farmersville, located 15 miles east of McKinney,
took its name from the primary occupation of its original
residents; established in 1849 as a settlement on the
Jefferson-McKinney Road and near the Republic of Texas National
Road, the town was incorporated in 1873; agriculture kept pace as
it became a trade center, and in the 1930s, Farmersville shipped
over 1,000 carloads of onions annually, earning the nickname
"Onion Capital of North Texas"; the city may be best known for
native son Audie Murphy, who listed Farmersville as his hometown
when he enlisted in the army during World War II and returned home
to a hero's welcome in 1945; he had earned every army citation for
valor, was a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, and
was posthumously awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor;
Farmersville has a nationally recognized Main Street Program,
with many historic downtown buildings, eateries, and shopping
attractions; near the restored Onion Shed is the trailhead for
the 130-mile Northeast Texas Trail, a beautiful site for walking,
hiking, and bicycling; and
WHEREAS, Settled in the mid-1850s, the city of Lavon is
nestled along the southeastern shore of Lake Lavon; more than
3,000 residents enjoy the friendliness of the small-town
atmosphere combined with the benefits of living near an exciting
metro area; the city's growing parks and trail system, planned
capital improvements, pursuit of quality retail and commercial
businesses, and commitment to service contribute to the
outstanding quality of life; and
WHEREAS, Other communities add much to Collin County's
allure; the growing community of Blue Ridge is committed to
revitalizing its downtown, while the people of Josephine are
proud of their active volunteer fire department, which not only
protects the community but hosts such popular annual events as
the Easter egg hunt and the Christmas parade; and
WHEREAS, Also contributing to the development of Collin
County are the residents of Copeville, Lowry Crossing, Melissa,
Nevada, New Hope, Princeton, Royse City, Sachse, St. Paul,
Westminster, and Weston, along with parts of Dallas and Garland,
and these communities play an important part in the county's
flourishing, diversified economy and its quality of life; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of this notable North Texas county
are working to preserve the best of their past even as they look
forward to a bright and promising future, and they are sure to
figure prominently in the growth and prosperity of the Lone Star
State in the years ahead; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
Legislature, hereby recognize March 28 and 29, 2017, as Collin
County Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting
delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable
stay in Austin.
Taylor of Collin, Estes
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on March 29, 2017.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate