HR68 - Recognizing February 4, 2025, as McAllen Day at the State Capitol.

      H.R. No. 68       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, Residents of McAllen are gathering at the State   Capitol on February 4, 2025, to celebrate this vibrant South Texas   community; and          WHEREAS, McAllen traces its history to 1797, when Spanish   settler Jose Manuel Gomez founded the Santa Anita Ranch in what is   now southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size and was   eventually inherited by Mr. Gomez's great-granddaughter, Salome   Balli, who married John McAllen; together, they continued to add to   the property and renamed it McAllen Ranch; and          WHEREAS, In 1904, the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico   Railroad arrived, and that same year, Mr. McAllen and other early   settlers launched the McAllen Townsite Company and established a   community that was named for John McAllen; other developers founded   East McAllen in 1907, and the two towns eventually merged, becoming   home to a growing number of businesses, churches, residences, and a   newspaper; by 1920, the city had a population of some 6,000   residents; and          WHEREAS, Over the last five decades, McAllen has grown into a   thriving center for business, commerce, and government in the Rio   Grande Valley; as a result of its retail tax strength, the city has   one of the lowest property tax rates in the region, and it continues   to be listed among the fastest-growing metropolitan statistical   areas in the country; U.S. News & World Report ranked McAllen No. 3   in the category of best places to live in the U.S. for quality of   life for 2020-2021, and it was recently rated by the publication as   the second-best place to live in Texas for 2024-2025; furthermore,   SmartAsset ranked McAllen as the third-safest city in America in   2023; and          WHEREAS, McAllen is renowned for its natural beauty and is   home to Quinta Mazatlan, a Spanish revival estate set amid   sprawling tropical gardens; this unique conference and events   center encompasses quiet trails winding through more than 15 acres   of birding habitat that is visited by more than 500 species; and          WHEREAS, The city also features a rich array of cultural   attractions, and in 2022, Governor Greg Abbott announced that   McAllen had been named a Music Friendly Community by the Texas Music   Office, a designation that will help the city to foster further   economic development related to the music industry; and          WHEREAS, McAllen has built a reputation as an outstanding   place to live, work, and raise a family, and its citizens may indeed   take great pride in the prominent role that their city continues to   play in the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby recognize February 4, 2025, as McAllen Day at   the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere   best wishes for a memorable visit to Austin.     Guerra     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 68 was adopted by the House on March   13, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House