City of Kerrville holds annual ‘State of the City Address’ Thursday

Shortly before noon on Thursday, the City of Kerrville held their annual ‘State of the City Address’ which was conducted in a virtual format this year due to COVID-19 safety concerns.

Kerrville Mayor Bill Blackburn began the event by commenting on the recent actions which had transpired a day earlier at the U.S. Capitol which saw thousands of protesters opposed to the certification of President – Elect Joe Biden’s win storm the building, ultimately resulting in four people’s deaths.

Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen on Thursday said the Dept. of Justice is committed to hold accountable those who were responsible for the “attack on our Government,” adding that some participants will face charges for the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Congress affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory when they reconvened after authorities cleared out Chambers Wednesday night.

Blackburn described yesterday’s scenes as “unsettling” and said all of us should pray for strength, unity and a peaceful transfer of power. The mayor reminded Kerrville residents that the city has a clear chain of command. Kerrville City Councilmember Place Two Kim Clarkson asked the community to join in with her as she prayed for all of us to ‘build and heal together.’

Both Blackburn and Kerrville City Manager Mark McDaniel continued to reference the term ‘resilience’ while forecasting the numerous positives the area has continually shown despite the ongoing pandemic. In particular, McDaniel mentioned specific sectors including retail, healthcare and tourism.

McDaniel reiterated the huge impact the implementation of the city’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan continues to have, especially where job creation is concerned. He referenced the recent announcement of the future location of Kildeer MM, which is expected to create up to 400 local jobs, Kerrville State Hospital, All Plastics and the recent announcement that James Avery will soon be back to pre-pandemic employment numbers.

As far as Kerr County tourism, McDaniel called the community a popular ‘drive-to-destination’, especially since people are flying less due to COVID-19. Financially, the CARES ACT relief funding has helped assist many local businesses in staying afloat and many debt obligations have been refinanced at historically low rates. Nonetheless, local leaders continue to encourage citizens to shop locally whenever possible.

The final word came from the city manager as he optimistically closed out the press conference wishing everyone a very ‘Happy New Year’.