SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 27
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
welcome residents of McAllen who are gathering at the State
Capitol on February 4, 2025, to celebrate this vibrant South
Texas community; and
WHEREAS, McAllen traces its history to 1797, when Spanish
settler Jose Manuel Gomez founded the Santa Anita Ranch in what
is now southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size and was
eventually inherited by Mr. Gomez's great-granddaughter, Salome
Balli, who married John McAllen; together, they continued to add
to the property and renamed it McAllen Ranch; and
WHEREAS, In 1904, the Saint Louis, Brownsville and
Mexico Railroad arrived, and that same year, Mr. McAllen and
other early settlers formed the McAllen Townsite Company and
established a community named for John McAllen; other
developers founded East McAllen in 1907, and the two towns
eventually merged and became home to a growing number of
businesses, churches, residences, and a newspaper; by 1920,
the city had a population of some 6,000 residents; and
WHEREAS, Over the last five decades, McAllen has grown into
a thriving center in the Rio Grande Valley for commerce,
government, and business and ranks among the top 10 best cities
for small businesses nationwide; as a result of its retail tax
strength, it ranked second in sales tax per capita allocation in
Texas for cities over 100,000 in population in 2024, and the city
has one of the lowest property tax rates in the region; it
continues to be listed among the fastest-growing metropolitan
statistical areas in the country and U.S. News & World Report
ranked McAllen in the top 50 best places to live in the United
States and as the second-best place to live in Texas for
2024-2025; the McAllen National Incident-Based Reporting System
crime report recorded the lowest crime rate in the last 37 years
at the end of 2024; and
WHEREAS, McAllen is renowned for its natural beauty and
is home to Quinta Mazatlan, a Spanish revival estate set amid
sprawling tropical gardens; this unique conference and events
center encompasses quiet trails winding through more than 15
acres of birding habitat featuring more than 500 visiting bird
species; and
WHEREAS, The city also features a rich array of cultural
attractions and prides itself on being a destination city with
more than 800 events held annually, and in 2024, the city was
named an IFEA World Festival and Event City for the third
time; the McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B and
powered by Bert Ogden Auto Group, has been a popular and
highly acclaimed event for many years, and other world-class
events held in the city include the McAllen Public Library's
World Languages Festival and South Texas Book Festival, the
South Pole Illuminated Festival, MXLAN Music and Arts
Festival, the McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Running Series,
Planta Nativa at Quinta Mazatlan, and the McAllen Convention
Center's CarFest; and
WHEREAS, McAllen has built a reputation as an outstanding
place to live, work, and raise a family, and its citizens may
indeed take great pride in the prominent role that their city
continues to play in the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th
Legislature, hereby recognize February 4, 2025, as McAllen Day at
the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere
best wishes for a memorable visit to Austin; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of this special occasion.
Hinojosa of Hidalgo, Hinojosa of Nueces
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 4, 2025.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate