Message from the Mayor

I am thrilled to present the city’s first Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR), which is intended to provide a reader-friendly version of the city’s financial position, activities for the year and organizational accomplishments.

Fiscal Year 2019-20 (FY20) started out strong with a vibrant economy, booming housing market and low unemployment rates. Development and redevelopment continued to invigorate all parts of Irving, and businesses thrived thanks to healthy economic conditions. In early 2020 we began to hear about a deadly coronavirus, and by March the world as we knew it was upturned.

The COVID-19 virus brought everything to a screeching halt, and our community entered an unprecedented shut down in order to contain the spread of the virus and protect one another.

The City of Irving responded swiftly by establishing an emergency operations center, crisis communications plan, customer service strategies, and health and safety protocols. City departments committed to providing essential services to the community while trimming $7.4 million from the FY20 budget to offset anticipated revenue losses primarily attributed to the decrease in sales tax. In order to keep employees and the public safe, the city closed libraries, parks, recreation centers, limited access to City Hall and canceled all special events and public gatherings. To help ease financial burdens, the city managed $13.2 million in CARES Act funding that assisted residents and businesses who experienced economic hardships.

City employees are considered essential workers, and I am proud of the dedication, ingenuity and genuine care for the community the city’s workforce exhibits every day. Departments worked to keep residents engaged with virtual events and online opportunities for activities and programs, as well as socially distanced outdoor adventures like scavenger hunts and reading books along Irving trails. City Council and other public meetings were held virtually to safely accommodate public participation, and city business continued with modified operations.

Despite the circumstances, many infrastructure improvement projects and quality of life enhancements were undertaken in FY20. Street reconstruction, drainage upgrades, water line replacements and numerous parks and trail projects moved forward. Other notable FY20 projects include the completion of the Levy Event Plaza and Irving Signature Bridge, the start of the Irving Interchange reconstruction and Heritage District improvements.

The city’s Economic Development Department and the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce continued to assist the business sector. According to the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce fourth quarter report in FY20, the Irving Economic Development Partnership resulted in:

� 81.4 million square feet of commercial space leased � $486 million in capital investments � 14,448 high wage jobs added and retained

Although COVID-19 impacted city operations in FY20, the organization was able to respond and grow from the challenges while continuing to make improvements for the community. The FY20 PAFR provides additional data and insights, and I hope you find this new communication tool useful and informative.

Sincerely,

Richard H. Stopfer Mayor