February 12, 2016

Monthly Sales Tax Report

The State Comptroller’s Office reported an increase of almost four percent in sales tax revenue for the month of February. This increase is particularly significant for the City because February’s payment is typically the highest of the year, accounting for 12 percent of all sales tax, and is based on holiday sales activity reported by local businesses for the month of December and those businesses that report sales on a quarterly and annual basis. The four percent increase comes as a welcomed surprise to City forecasters who had projected flat sales tax collections for the year and adds $146,000 to the City’s revenue totals. Overall, sales tax collections account for 30 percent of all revenue for the General Fund budget.

Mesquite Participates in American Councils for International Education

The City recently participated in the American Councils for International Education program at Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy’s in Mesquite West campus. Mesquite was one of only two cities in Texas to host this internationally recognized professional development program for educators. The program welcomed Uruguayan high school principal Pablo Ferrari. The school serves students from the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas in the community. Mayor Stan Pickett presented Mr. Ferrari with a proclamation in recognition of the program.

Luv a Shelter Pet Adoption Special

Animal Services is offering a February "Luv a Shelter Pet" adoption special. All pre-altered (already spayed or neutered) pets have an adoption fee of $14. This special runs from February 10 - 13.

Daddy Daughter Dance a Success

The 2016 Mesquite Daddy Daughter Dance was a huge success serving 1,176 dads and daughters at the Mesquite Convention Center this past Friday. A candy bar and prize drawings were added to enhance the excitement of this annual event. View this link for a video recap of the night. https://youtu.be/ve5YC9V5-HM. Look for this event next year, Friday, February 3, 2017.

Athletic Field Renovations

Sports Field Solutions under the direction of the Parks and Recreation Department is removing the build up where the turf meets the clay at Loncy Leake Baseball Field. These build ups can cause unsafe playing conditions.

The Parks and Recreation Department is currently renovating the turfgrass and clay surfaces at Evans Athletic Field. The renovation includes the removal of the entire clay infield, leveling the playing surface and re-installing new turfgrass and clay.

City donates mulch to Gray Elementary Community Garden

The City donated three truckloads of mulch from its Composting Facility towards the new community garden at Gray Elementary School. The school, which is part of the Mesquite Independent School District, held a dedication ceremony on February 8 to celebrate the new garden. Students involved in the school’s Garden Club will maintain the community garden. The school plans to donate a portion of the vegetables grown to local food banks.

New Emergency Management Coordinator Announced

Cindy Carlo has been promoted to Emergency Management Coordinator beginning February 13. Carlo will be filling the position vacated by Raymond Rivas, recently-announced director of Neighborhood Services. Carlo previously served the City as Senior Emergency Management Specialist since January of 2014. Carlo holds an Associate's degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor's degree in Emergency Management from the University of North Texas.

Keep Mesquite Beautiful Receives Grant

Keep Mesquite Beautiful has been awarded a $20,000 grant from Lowe’s and Keep America Beautiful for a project at Paschall Park’s Butterfly Trail. This event will be part of the Great American Cleanup and will be one of four nationally-publicized events to highlight cleanup and beautification efforts across the country. Funds from this grant will be used to fund a waterway cleanup for a portion of the creek running through Paschall Park along the Butterfly Trail.

Building Inspection Staff Recognized

Inspector Jesse Alfaro and Chief Building Official Keith Smith were thanked by the Building Officials Association of Texas (BOAT) for their assistance with the December tornado recovery efforts and participation on a damage assessment team in Ellis County. The City of Mesquite is proud of Jesse and Keith and their commitment to serving the public.

Westlake Park Landscape Project

The Westlake Park landscape project was completed this week. The project included the removal of unhealthy Bradford Pear trees, building and planting landscape beds with native and drought tolerant plants, planting trees and the adding irrigation. The project was paid for by the Tree Mitigation Funds, a fee collected from commercial developers when urban forests are removed due to construction.

Contact Your City

Let us hear from you. If you have a concern or are experiencing an issue, please contact the City at (972) 288-7711 or visit the City's website at www.cityofmesquite.com/questions..