Port Arthur mayor says state of the city is good overall

By David Ball
The Port Arthur News

PORT ARTHUR May 14, 2008 08:18 pm

— Deloris “Bobbie” Prince, mayor of Port Arthur, came up with the idea of a state of the city address as an opportunity to share information with the community.
As a result, the mayor delivered the first-ever state of the city address Wednesday at the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center to various city, business leaders and other attendees. Prince called her speech “A New Dawn in Port Arthur.”
City Manager Stephen Fitzgibbons introduced the mayor as one of the hardest-working and compassionate individuals he has ever met.
She began by thanking community and elected officials for their work, industry, and the Port Arthur Independent School District for laying the educational foundations for the future. Prince next spoke of the rich maritime, oil and mineral heritage the city has, but more particularly, the rich heritage of human resources the city has.
“We are a city with a wealth of diverse cultures. The cultural tapestry of our city is woven of many colors, many backgrounds, ethnicities, beliefs and histories. The result is a beautifully interwoven community — living together, seeking the best of all,” she said.
Prince said the city is more vibrant and more alive and exciting than the city founded 100 years ago. She then turned to the hardships the city faced when citizens aided Louisiana neighbors after Hurricane Katrina, only to have Hurricane Rita hit Southeast Texas three weeks later.
She spoke of the examples of strength and self-sacrifice of the Port Arthur Police Department, the fire department and other city workers assisting evacuees.
“The city suffered significant blows which would have left weaker communities without hope,” Prince said. “Today we have a community looking with hope and confidence at the dawn of a new day.”
Prince admitted that all is not well with the city, but it is not doomed either. She pointed to a drop in crime for the first quarter of this year compared to last year and how the police department tries to reach out to the youth of the city.
“We believe this investment today will yield desired results tomorrow such as fewer individuals committing crimes, less individuals being placed in prison, less crime in our community and stronger citizens to build our community,” she said.
Prince next switched to the Blue Santa Program. Proceeds from the address will go to benefit the Port Arthur Police Department’s Blue Santa Program to help brighten the lives of less fortunate young people during the Christmas holidays.
“I would like to make this an annual event (state of the city address). We owe it to the citizens. Every penny will go for the Blue Santa Program. It’s a worthy program and I applaud them,” Prince said.
Police Sgt. Steve Flores is in charge of the Blue Santa Program. He said they had 20 kids in the program when it began in 1992. Last year, they had 280 kids. He told how Prince and Mary Ann Reid, president of The Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce, became involved and raised $20,000 in three days.
Flores said as a police officer, he only sees crime and the bad part of the population on the job. With the Blue Santa Program, he and the other officers look forward to giving back and giving some children the best Christmas they have ever had.
Prince announced Sabine Pass now has $12 million in a set aside fund for elevation, construction and relocation of Sabine Pass residents.
New businesses are welcomed to the city with the development of the business park and a number of new businesses are opening or re-opening in the city. The chamber of commerce is also busy with ribbon cuttings for businesses.
There’s an explosion of housing growth and she looks forward to new neighbors in the community. There is also an anticipation of housing needs for over 25,000 workers arriving in the area.
West side development is in the works and the city would like to see the restoration of retail and trade access for this area. Streets and drainage are being updated in the city since citizens passed a bond election in November 2007. Aging infrastructure is also being replaced.
“The industrial expansion is a bright rainbow for the city’s future,” Prince referred to as bringing billions to the area. A number of workers will be needed to build these projects and receive training.
The city’s bond rating remains sound. Council financial policies recommend a fund balance level of $17 million; the current fund balance, however, is $9 million.
“We also face other budget concerns such as a water utility fund deficit, increased health insurance costs, increased retirement costs and increases in employee salaries,” she said.
She reminded the audience the windfall from the industrial expansions won’t be coming to the city’s coffers until the 2009-2010 fiscal year since the projects are just beginning.
Prince concluded her comments by saying, “Despite the obvious realities of the challenges our community faces, we must continue to dream of things that are possible for our future.”

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