SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 27

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to welcome residents of McAllen who 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 Saint Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railroad arrived, and that same year, Mr. McAllen and other early settlers formed the McAllen Townsite Company and established a community named for John McAllen; other developers founded East McAllen in 1907, and the two towns eventually merged and became 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 in the Rio Grande Valley for commerce, government, and business and ranks among the top 10 best cities for small businesses nationwide; as a result of its retail tax strength, it ranked second in sales tax per capita allocation in Texas for cities over 100,000 in population in 2024, and the city has one of the lowest property tax rates in the region; it continues to be listed among the fastest-growing metropolitan statistical areas in the country and U.S. News & World Report ranked McAllen in the top 50 best places to live in the United States and as the second-best place to live in Texas for 2024-2025; the McAllen National Incident-Based Reporting System crime report recorded the lowest crime rate in the last 37 years at the end of 2024; 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 featuring more than 500 visiting bird species; and

WHEREAS, The city also features a rich array of cultural attractions and prides itself on being a destination city with more than 800 events held annually, and in 2024, the city was named an IFEA World Festival and Event City for the third time; the McAllen Holiday Parade, presented by H-E-B and powered by Bert Ogden Auto Group, has been a popular and highly acclaimed event for many years, and other world-class events held in the city include the McAllen Public Library's World Languages Festival and South Texas Book Festival, the South Pole Illuminated Festival, MXLAN Music and Arts Festival, the McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Running Series, Planta Nativa at Quinta Mazatlan, and the McAllen Convention Center's CarFest; 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 Senate of the State of Texas, 89th 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; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor of this special occasion.

Hinojosa of Hidalgo, Hinojosa of Nueces

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 4, 2025.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate

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Member, Texas Senate