EDINBURG2040
EDINBURG2040 STARTS TODAY By Dr. Kimberly Selber
The year 2040 seems a long way off – 18 years to be exact, a lifetime for some – but Edinburg2040 is about making plans and acting today, for a better Edinburg tomorrow. Edinburg2040 is the development of a strategic long-range plan for the city largely based on community input. The project will be comprehensive and draw from various categories such as public safety, economic development, and quality of life. One of the people charged with helping make it work is the new mayor of Edinburg. “The Edinburg 2040 plan,” says Ramiro Garza Jr., who took office in December, “is a process; it isn’t simply a destination. It is about engaging our community in the process of creating short-term, mid-term, and long-term planning based on community input.” The Edinburg2040 plan will guide the city in prioritizing funds and accomplishing planned goals for growth, public safety, economic development, and quality of life.
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The City held its first Edinburg2040 Town Hall meeting Feb. 10, with three more scheduled for the end of March. And the group is getting public input in multiple ways, including an online survey and town hall meetings. “We launched our Edinburg2040 survey in February,” Garza said. “So far, we have already exceeded our survey collection goal by 50%. We are so happy that people are engaged.” Garza, who previously served as executive director of the Edinburg EDC and then Edinburg city manager, says the project is developing rapidly. And timing has definitely been on the minds of local leaders, including council member and Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Garcia. “We need to keep moving forward on projects and not start new things before the old ones are complete,” said Garcia, who was elected to the
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