Mayor Don Warren says Tyler is ‘transforming’ during state of the city address

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual State of the City luncheon on Thursday at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center.

Mayor Don Warren shared achievements from the past year. He provided information on upcoming projects, opportunities, challenges and future goals in a question-and-answer session with Bryan Brandt.

Prior to the State of the City address, Leadership Tyler Class 36 graduated, and guests enjoyed lunch.

Mayor Warren emphasized how the city is “transforming” through initiatives that were in the early planning stages years prior and are now complete or moving forward as suggested in master plans.

“Tyler is transforming the way we move around this city through excellence in city design. From connecting sidewalks to corridors, we are providing access and ease around the city,” said Mayor Warren. “We are working on new streets, enhancing road conditions and identifying historically slow traffic areas and updating them with the latest signal technology and synchronization.”

Mayor Warren recapped the progress of the planned transformation of Downtown Tyler and how new businesses and those that have been in the community for decades keep the city’s economy moving.

Additionally, Brandt and Mayor Warren talked about revitalizing and rebuilding parks, removing blight, restoring the historic brick streets, the new police and fire academies training cadets where they will work, and the work put into disaster preparedness toc quickly and efficiently returning to normal operations after a crisis situation.

“The City’s 921 employees use innovation to solve problems and reach toward higher service levels,” said Mayor Warren. “Our teams communicate with residents and connect them to services and solutions. In 2022 we were nominated for four Texas Municipal League awards: Communication, Public Safety, Management Innovation and City Spirit. We took home the top recognition for Infants at Work and the Homeless Coordinator Position.”

The city provided its annual report to attendees in English and Spanish, outlining organizational progress city-wide. Council Members outlined initiatives and projects that are transforming the city through a video presentation as part of the program.

Copyright 2023 KLTV. All rights reserved.