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My fellow Staffordians, I am very much humbled by your selection of me as your Mayor. As we all know, this is an historical event. Right now we are in the process of adopting the budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024. I have submitted a balanced budget, as required by law, with the help of our Department Heads and other dedicated employees. The employees are the real assets of our city. The proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24 shows the total salary and benefits in the amount of $20.484 million as compared to the actual spent amount of $16.563 million for the Fiscal Year 2021-22. For the current Fiscal Year 2022-23, total actual spent is $16.003 million for 10 months.
For the Police Department, the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24, the salary and benefits are in the amount of $7.863 million as compared to the actual spending of $6.899 million for the Fiscal Year 2021-22, and so far the actual spent for the current Fiscal Year 2022-23 is $6.130 million for 10 months. As we all can see, the proposed budget is higher than the previous years mentioned.
Stafford is ethnically diverse and proportionally balanced where we can live, work and coexist peacefully. Let us all work together to make our City better and better for the people of the City.
Thank you all,
Mayor Mathew
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Mayor Mathew takes office
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Mayor Ken Mathew was sworn into office on June 20th in front of a packed house in our Council Chambers. Missouri City Mayor Robin Elackatt administered the oath of office for our new Mayor.
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The City of Stafford hosted its first ever Juneteenth celebration at the Stafford Centre on Sunday, June 18th. This event featured lots of amazing food, musical performances, games, and a special exhibit by the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum.
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The City of Stafford held its 2023 Independence Day Celebrations at The Stafford Centre on Monday, July 3rd & Tuesday, July 4th. This 2-day event was filled with something for everyone! On Monday, July 3rd, Mayor Mathew and city and state officials were on hand to welcome the excited crowd. The festival had a DJ, food/drinks, crafts booth, kid's games including moonwalks, a rock wall, a hayride and much more! Then, the evening concluded with a live music performance from crowd favorite Ram Herrera.
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City of Stafford hosts international university students from Taiwan
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On July 18th, the City of Stafford hosted 16 international university students from Taiwan. These outstanding students from top universities were selected to serve as young cultural ambassadors by the Taiwan government. This program equips college students with leadership training by visiting notable U.S. cities.
During their visit, the students learned about the history of Stafford and toured the city. The students also learned about Stafford’s first Asian American city councilwoman, Alice Chen, who is originally from Taiwan. Councilwoman Chen talked about her journey in America beginning as a graduate student to being heavily involved in community leadership. This successful program helps to cultivate future leaders and foster strong relationships between Stafford and the international community.
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City of Stafford & SEDC upgraded to an A2 rating
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Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the City of Stafford, TX’s issuer and general obligation limited tax (GOLT) ratings to A2 from A3. Moody’s Investors Service has also upgraded the Stafford Economic Development Corporation (EDC), TX's Sales Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2014 rating to A2 from A3.
​The upgrade of the issuer rating to A2 reflects the city’s significantly improved financial position as a result of conservative budgeting practices leading to consecutive years of surplus operations. Governance is a key driver of the rating reflecting a new management team and the implementation of new financial policies adopted by the city council leading to the city’s improved financial position. The rating also considers ongoing commercial development and continued tax base growth as well as a manageable long-term liabilities ratio. These positive attributes are balanced by the city’s reliance on economically sensitive sales tax revenues and a history of deficit operations.​
​The rating upgrade to A2 reflects recent strong sales tax performance supported by the city’s growing tax base which has led to strong debt service coverage levels and improved liquidity within the EDC. The rating also considers the EDC’s relationship with the City of Stafford as a component unit and the city’s recent upgrade to A2. Pledged revenues have remained resilient over the past several years, though could moderate given the current economic climate.
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Mayor Mathew & Councilwoman Chen tour SATAKE facility in Stafford
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Mayor Ken Mathew & Councilwoman Alice Chen were able to go on a tour of SATAKE's Stafford facility on August 9th to learn about the company's history and services they provide. SATAKE was founded in 1896 in Japan and is the world's leader in rice milling technology.
They were also joined by Noriyuki Moriyama, CEO & President of SATAKE USA, and Hirofumi Murabayashi, the Consulate-General of Japan in Houston.
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Stafford Fire Department supporting TIFMAS
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Since July 31st, multiple personnel from the Stafford Fire Department have been supporting TIFMAS (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System) in north Texas battling brush fires. This is the 4th TIFMAS deployment of the year so far.
The Fire Department also received a new Booster, designated Booster 21. This vehicle is specifically designed to combat grass/brush fires and is equipped with a 300GPm pump, 400 gallons water and 10 gallons of foam. It was placed into service on July 25th and has already responded to 4 grass/brush fires in our response area.
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Stafford Economic Development Corporation News
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We are excited to have a new Chipotle location opening on Highway 90 by the end of the year. The gas station at Highway 90 and Brand Lane has finally opened after months of delay and is open for business. Developments on The Grid: the multi-home project is moving forward and progressing.
There are also some restaurants that are coming on board in the next month. I am excited to announce the re-appointment of the economic directors William Bostic Jr., Damon Leonetti, Gwen Goodwin and Randy Krahn. It is great to have these individuals back on the board with all the important projects that are coming in soon. Their experience and their due diligence have been instrumental in the economic development of the city.
Wen Guerra
President, SEDC
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Back to school safety tips
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School is back in session! It's important to remember important safety tips near school zones, including never passing stopped vehicles at crosswalks, stopping for buses loading or unloading students, obeying school zone speed limits, and putting down your phone while driving to avoid distractions.
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On Monday, August 21st, the Stafford City Council and the Board of Trustees for the Stafford Municipal School District held a joint meeting at the Stafford Civic Center to discuss and approve the SMSD budget for this school year.
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Hurricane season officially began on June 1st and continues through November 30th. Start planning early to protect your families and property. For more information on how to prepare for a hurricane, click HERE.
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Join our team!
We are hiring! Learn more about our open employment opportunities by clicking here. Employment with the City of Stafford offers a wealth of opportunities to serve your community while building a career.
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City offices will be closed on:
Thursday, November 23rd
Friday, November 24th
Monday, December 25th
Tuesday, December 26th
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