By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez,
As Originally Published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition.
When you see reports that the City of Harlingen led Texas with the highest percentage increase of housing sales in 2014 with a 24 percent increase, you have to pay attention. Harlingen has been acquiring success after success and rapidly distinguishing itself as a thriving city of South Texas.
The leadership of the city has grabbed the attention and proven to be a magnet for new residents and unbelievable business entities that have set up shop in the City of Harlingen. Mayor Chris Boswell with its City Commission clearly understands that Public Safety is a key element for a prosperous city.
Mayor Boswell also said that he is confident that the economic growth of the city will continue in 2015 adding that Harlingen led Texas with the highest percentage increase of housing sales in 2014 with a 24 percent increase – representing 910 houses – according to the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University.
The Mayor and the City Council are well aware that public safety attracts business growth and new residents to Harlingen. He said there has been a steady decline in crime for the past seven years, including a 22.7 percent decrease for incidents of violent crime and property crime in 2014 compared to 2013. He emphasized that one criminal statistic did not occur in Harlingen during 2014: “There was not a murder and that is noteworthy in any comparison between cities of similar population,” he said.
Public safety and great work of economic development resulted that during 2014 there were 24 new businesses that opened in Downtown Harlingen, bringing the downtown closer to complete revitalization.
Learn more about the City of Harlingen in this issue.
On another matter, Dennis E. Nixon, President and CEO of IBC Bank, received the Texas Bankers Foundation’s 50-Year Banker Award during a special luncheon held at the nonprofit’s 131st annual convention. The Texas Bankers Federation is the philanthropic arm of the Texas Bankers Association. The TBF supports more than 84 percent of the banks in the state through community initiatives such as financial literacy training and graduate school scholarships. More inside.
Great news, the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education recently selected Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, President Ad Interim of The University of Texas Pan American, to receive the prestigious Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education Award. More here.
Great move by Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez and Sheriff Eddie Guerra; they presented a new program called Operation Fast Track. The program targets Hidalgo County’s overcrowded jail situation. Currently, the DA’s Office has seen a total of 21,549 criminal cases in 2014. More inside.
Well deserved, Byron Jay Lewis, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Edwards Abstract and Title Co. has been inducted into the Rio GC of Hidalgo’s BorderFest festivities. More inside.
Mission Texas continues to lead the way in technology. In an effort to stay on top of the latest technologies and programming languages, Code the Town will now be offering Python classes using Raspberry Pi 2 Model B to students from the Mission community in the summer and fall. This is of great benefit to the students because Python is a widely used general-purpose, high-level programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability, and its syntax allows programmers to express concepts in fewer lines of code than would be possible in languages such as C++ or Java. The language provides constructs intended to enable clear programs on both a small and large scale. Great Job!
There is more in this Texas Border Business; I know that you like it. TBB
