01/20/2024
Letter from our Mayor
Jan 16, 2024
Greetings fellow citizens and guests,
It is my pleasure to serve as your Mayor during this exciting time in the history of Van Alstyne. We rightfully take time to recognize our past and recently did so in a big way in 2023 with a day
long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the city. And on November 1st we officially opened the Van Alstyne museum in the new location on Waco Street. The foundation
of our city is strong which allows us to build towards a bright future. The world has discovered the treasure that is Van Alstyne. As I have a chance to meet newresidents I discover they have their own stories to tell and their own reasons for making their
homes in this community. This is a tribute to our long time residents who have created a community based on the values of friendship and support for one another. We have a school
system that is outstanding in every way and churches that welcome the new and old alike. As new homes are being constructed in neighborhoods that did not exist a year ago, we in cityleadership accept the challenge to continue to plan for a future that retains our small town feel,high quality of life and friendly atmosphere.
The city charter, adopted by an overwhelming majority of voters in 2022, establishes Van Alstyne as a home rule city and codifies our council/city manager form of government. Our
city manager is Mr. Lane Jones, a widely respected professional with many years of experience. He leads the team of chiefs and department managers, each with teams of their own, bringing day to day and emergency services to our citizens. Please check out Mr. Jones’monthly newsletters for up to date information from city hall.
On the commercial and industrial side, our city-appointed and sales tax supported Communityand Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) is recruiting and welcoming new businesses
along our commercial corridors on US 75, Highway 5 and FM 121 as well as our two industrialparks. This type of growth expands our tax base and brings new people into the community.
The EDC is currently working with a consulting firm and gathering public input to help us develop a comprehensive plan for future economic growth.
The city leaders place importance on increasing our quality of life. Our excellent Van Alstyne library exist to provide learning and development opportunities to citizens of all ages. We are
increasing our parks footprint to include ball fields and green space to complement our premier outdoor event space downtown. We are investing in downtown central district infrastructure and a new facility for the Van Alstyne Police and Fire departments.
It is our hope that all of our citizens will find ways to connect to make this community a hometown of which we can all be proud. I welcome your questions and input. Feel free to email or I will likely see you around some time.
Jim Atchison
Mayor, City of Van Alstyne, TX
[email protected]
