City Manager Focus Areas

As Irving’s City Manager, I meet with many people and organizations throughout the community to gain insight on issues, challenges and opportunities facing the city. These insights, along with the Future in Focus organizational strategy and City Council priorities, help shape my plan to manage a city government that delivers positive and meaningful outcomes for Irving residents, businesses and visitors.

WORKFORCE RETENTION & RECRUITMENT

Deeply important to the city’s operation is its human capital: city employees. Irving will continue its focus on recruitment and retention to attract the best and brightest candidates in North Texas and beyond. The City of Irving is focused on building culture and enhancing the employee experience by making sure voices are heard and adjustments are made to best accommodate the needs of Irving employees.

To attract and retain top talent, the current goal is to be in the 80^th percentile of the municipal market pay scale and offer competitive benefits and retirement options. Other employee benefits include incentive programs, flexible work schedule options, additional training opportunities and a citywide employee development day where each team member has a chance to learn and grow.

Investing in our workforce helps ensure our ability to provide excellent services, programs and amenities to the community. We are always looking for great candidates to join the team! Visit CityofIrving.org/Jobs.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Wells Fargo broke ground on its new 22-acre office project in April 2023, and the financial services organization will welcome approximately 3,000 North Texas employees to a new two-building lakeside high-rise campus in 2025. The nearly half-billion-dollar development is strategically situated adjacent to the Irving Convention Center, a DART Orange Line station and the Toyota Music Factory.

TxDOT’s Irving Interchange project is anticipated to be completed in spring 2024. With its completion, Irving will be poised to begin development of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) Zone 6. This area includes more than 400 acres of developable land and is a prime location for a mixed-use development that includes office, residential and retail options.

CITY INFRASTRUCTURE

In response to the resident survey results, infrastructure has been a major focus over the past several years. In 2022, the City of Irving completed $59.9 million in capital improvement projects, replaced more than 3,600 traffic signs and swept nearly 10,000 miles of streets.

Now in Year Six, the Road to the Future program will result in a total of $200 million invested in the city’s streets by 2028, and it will be accomplished without raising the tax rate.

Other key infrastructure projects include:

• Irving Boulevard Reconstruction
• Delaware Creek Trail Connector
• Campion Trails Central Connector Segment
• Embassy Channel improvements
• New Solid Waste Maintenance Facility and Resident Convenience Center
• A Stormwater Drainage Master Plan for the City
• A Master Drainage Plan for the Heritage District
• Finalize an Aquatics/Recreation Community Center Vision and Model
• Initiate Design for Lake Chapman Water Supply System Improvements and for Additional Water Needs from Lake Ralph Hall
• Long-Term Planning for a New City Hall

SAFE AND SECURE CITY

The City of Irving is committed to providing residents, visitors, businesses and their employees with a safe and secure city. This year, the city looks forward to breaking ground on the Central Fire Station and beginning design on the new Fire Station 8.

Other projects include enhancing and improving Irving Police Department Community and Neighborhood programs, such as: 

• Grand opening for the new Irving Police Athletic League (PAL) facility
• Public Safety Wellness Unit
• Take Me Home Program

LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

The financial decisions made today have a broad and lasting effect over the next decade and beyond. The city will continue to focus on strengthening Irving’s financial legacy through implementation of the city’s Future in Focus strategy.

Developing and implementing long-term funding strategies for economic development and infrastructure projects is a key cornerstone of that plan. Practicing wise financial stewardship, developing sound financial policies and maintaining the city’s Aaa bond rating (the highest rating possible) will ensure the city receives the highest return on taxpayer dollars.

Chris Hillman
City Manager
Irving, Texas