As I write this, it seems fitting to note that today is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance of those lost in sacrifice to our country. In my extended family, we have dozens of veterans who have served but only one distant relative that I know of who did not come home. Today I honor the memory of Eugene Brownlow, who was born in Dallas and served as Chief Commissary Steward aboard the USS Trout on its 11th patrol in the Pacific. The USS Trout was lost to enemy action on February 29, 1944 and is now on eternal patrol in the Pacific. Rest in peace, sailor. Thank you for our freedom!
With a nod to my predecessor, Mayor, now citizen, Pete Dewing, I will organize my thoughts in three sections, the good, the better, and the best. My thanks to Pete for 35 years of national and community service and for handing the baton to me to lead Northlake forward. Despite the challenges that our town faces, I believe that it is appropriate to see challenges as opportunities for our town.
The Good:
In just the first few days after taking office, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to welcome several new projects to Northlake. Stanley Black & Decker held their ribbon cutting opening their 1.2m sq. ft distribution operation in Northlake. Having a Fortune 500 tenant in the town raises our profile, especially an iconic American brand like this one. Pecan Square, sister community to the award-winning Harvest community, held their topping out ceremony, at which the weathervane was placed on top of the new Jackson Hall community center. Projects such as this may not have come to Northlake without a sense of loss of the rural tradition that has been our town’s history, however now that they are here, I look forward to welcoming our future neighbors and taking every opportunity to see that these projects enable us to build a thriving town and infrastructure that we can all enjoy.
The Better:
We have a very dedicated staff and council at Northlake. I’d just like to commend them for their service, several for decades to Northlake. To begin my tenure as mayor, we are spending two full weeks together to plan for how we will serve our community together. We are dedicated to maintaining our town’s long tradition of frugality and fiscal discipline. We enjoy DFW-leading low municipal and county tax rates and still manage to deliver excellent core services. News from Austin is both good and bad for municipalities this session, but if the key promise of lower school taxes for residents and higher education funding from the state transpires, that will be great for all of us.
The Best:
I believe the best for Northlake is yet to come. We are the next great growth area in DFW which means we have the opportunity and responsibility to craft a beautiful town dedicated to our core principles: Excellence in Service, Fiscal Discipline, Preservation of our Rural Traditions, Respectful Servant Leadership, and Ensuring Sustainable Growth. This fall, two new elementary schools, Lance Thompson in Northwest ISD and Argyle West in Argyle ISD, will open to welcome our younger students. New water infrastructure, warehouses, business parks, apartments and restaurants are filling in our 114 and I-35W intersection. New businesses and restaurants are in the planning stages for 1171 and 407 while many new homes are being built in Canyon Falls, Highlands, Harvest, Pecan Square, The Ridge, Stardust Ranch, Prairie View Farms and more. Regional authorities are planning improvements to 407, I-35W, 1171, 377, 156 and 114 which will enable us to handle the increase in residents.
In conclusion, Northlake’s star is on the rise. What we do with this opportunity is up to us!
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