FOR leaders spotlight state of the city

VERONICA RECTOR Staff Writer
Today, 06:00 AM

Open government, safety, tax rates and road works highlighted

FAIR OAKS RANCH — A State of the City address by local leaders included a pledge to continue government transparency and a report the town is getting safer.

Those were some of the messages during the annual address delivered by Mayor Greg Maxton and City Manager Scott Huizenga Thursday at Spring Creek United Methodist Church.

Maxton emphasized a priority to maintain open governance.

“We always want to be visible day to day with our residents,” he said. “We are committed to transparency.”

The presentation also outlined municipal projects over the next five years, city financials and recognition of awards received by the town and staff in 2025, including being rated by a statewide assessment as the 16th safest city in Texas – a jump from 34th in 2024.

Maxton noted the 2025 financial audit came out clean, with no significant issues.

The city’s Financial Department received multiple awards, including the Triple Crown Reward from the Government Finance Officers Association for outstanding financial reporting.

The pool for selection included 90,000 other government entities.

In addition, the department received a Double AA Plus Bond rating, signi- fying high-quality investment with extremely low default risks, the mayor noted.

The finance office also received a $78,000 grant from the state to update equipment.

The city’s chief executive also outlined the 2025 safety and security report, which noted the average response time for emergencies at just three minutes.

Public safety personnel in 2025 fielded 5,312 calls for service and 3,696 traffic stops.

Of those traffic stops, 76% resulted in warnings over citations.

“This approach reflects their focus on promoting safety and education and not on the number of tickets that can be issued,” Maxton said, thanking Police Chief Todd Smith and his department.

Maxton then presented the city’s property tax rates, which he said the City Council has steadily decreased by 25% since 2021, from 36 cents per $100 valuation to 28.53 cents.

The session also included a slide presentation about ReGroup, an emergency-notification system Maxton encouraged residents to download off the city’s website at www.fairoaksranchtx.org/.

Multiple road repairs and updates include the widening of FM 3351 and the decommission of the Falls Lift Station, expected to be finished on Sept. 30, 2027, the mayor added.

The city also recognized Deputy City Secretary Amanda Valdez as employee of the year.

“Amanda was nominated (multiple) times by colleagues from across the organization and that breadth of dedication matters,” Huizenga said. “One … wrote that when people come to Amanda with a question, she doesn’t just provide an answer, she immediately takes action to resolve the issue.”