News Flash

Citywide lighting project brightens Victoria’s southside

PHOTO: The City installed LED lights at Queen City Park and Pine Street Park last year.

More than 100 bright new LED lights are shining on Victoria’s southside, and there will be many more where those came from.

The City on June 20 began the first...

City seeks input on spending CDBG funds for community programs

PHOTO: The City’s proposed 2022 annual action plan includes $95,000 in CDBG funding for the Victoria Housing Authority to weatherize and paint an apartment complex.

Residents can review the City’s proposed 2022 annual action plan and provide input on how t...

Hotel occupancy tax fund applications open Friday

PHOTO: Events and programs that bring overnight visitors to Victoria—including arts, historical and sporting events—are eligible for hotel occupancy tax funds.

Local organizations that help to bring tourism to Victoria can apply for hot...

With eye to weather, City makes safety plans for Miller Lite July 4th Blastoff

PHOTO #1: Fireworks light up the night sky during the Miller Lite July 4th Blastoff in 2021 at the Victoria Community Center.

PHOTO #2: Fireworks will be shot from the Adult Softball Complex near the Victoria Community Center during the Miller Lit...

Victoria Fire Department to host free fire safety event for kids

PHOTO: Firefighter/EMT David Willis and Fire Lt. William Gerald help a child aim a fire hose during the Healthy Kids Day event hosted by the YMCA in May.

Kids will be able to learn about fire safety, first aid and teamwork at “Fire and Ice,&r...

Riverside Golf Course lands American Junior Golf Association tournament

PHOTO: A young golfer watches his shot at Riverside Golf Course in 2017.

The City of Victoria has secured a three-year contract to host an American Junior Golf Association invitational tournament, the Victoria Texas Preview, at Riverside Golf Course.

The fi...

Assistant City Manager Darrek Ferrell earns professional development designation

Victoria Assistant City Manager Darrek Ferrell recently earned his Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association. He is one of about 1,400 local government management professionals worldwide who are cu...

City, County to host Hazard Mitigation Plan public meeting

This information is being provided by the City of Victoria and Victoria County.

Victoria County and the City of Victoria will hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, to gather public input for updating their Hazard Mitigation Plan.

This meeting...

City of Victoria closings for Independence Day observance

All nonemergency offices at the City of Victoria will close Monday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

The Victoria Public Library will be closed.

The compost site will be closed.

The landfill will be open.

Garbage, curbside recycling, yard waste and/...

City to switch back to chloramines for water disinfection

The City of Victoria will switch back to its usual water disinfection process starting Friday, July 1, but most residents will not notice a difference.

The City will resume using chloramines for water disinfection. The City used chlorine for disinfection d...

City of Victoria employees earn child passenger safety technician certifications

PHOTO #1: Car seat inspectors with the City of Victoria and other government agencies pose for a photo during a car seat inspection event that was hosted by the Municipal Court on May 19 at the Victoria Community Center. Eleven City of Victoria employees ...

City of Victoria Communications team wins high honors at state conference

PHOTO #1: The City of Victoria Communications & Public Affairs team, from left, Lauren Meaux, public safety community affairs manager; A.J. Gonzalez, digital media specialist; Shane Blucher, videographer/media specialist; Sa...

City seeks volunteer applicants for Planning Commission

PHOTO: The Planning Commission opens a public hearing on a variance request for a proposed commercial development at 714 E. Rio Grande St. during the commission’s April 21 meeting.

The City of Victoria is seeking three volunteers to serve on the Planning C...

Riverside Soccer Complex to close for maintenance

PHOTO: The Riverside Soccer Complex, 1407 W. Red River St., will close for maintenance June 17-July 2.

The Riverside Soccer Complex will close for maintenance June 17-July 2.

Over time, foot traffic at the soccer fields can cause problems with turf density....

Victoria Police Department K-9 officers attend training in Laredo

PHOTO: Shown from left are K-9 Nero, Senior Police Officer Oscar Garcia and Senior Police Officer Jake Garza.

Victoria Police Department Senior Police Officers Oscar Garcia and Jake Garza spent the week of May 30 training with their K-9 partners, Nero and ...

Victoria Fire Department honors lifesaving firefighter/EMTs

PHOTO #1: Victoria Fire Department employees eat breakfast while Fire Chief Tracy Fox, back right, and Assistant Chief Michael Belt, back left, share statistics about the Victoria Fire Department’s treatment of cardiac arrest patients during an ...

Residents must conserve water as Guadalupe River falls

The City of Victoria is requiring residents to take steps to conserve water as the City initiated Stage II of its drought contingency plan this week. 

The City’s drought contingency plan is a series of water conservation measures that th...

Victoria Station Apartments earns City beautification award

Keep Victoria Beautiful staff and Victoria Station Apartments employees and management pose for a photo June 7 at Victoria Station Apartments, 1701 Victoria Station Road. Victoria Station Apartments received KVB’s business beautification award f...

Victoria Public Library partners with local groups for ‘mini library’

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Public Library “mini library” bookshelf and library books were delivered to the Boys and Girls Club on June 6. Shown with the books are several club members, along with Nikki Hagel, program director, second from ...

Parks & Recreation to host Miller Lite Blastoff fireworks show

PHOTO: Fireworks light up the night sky during the Miller Lite Blastoff fireworks show in 2021 at the Victoria Community Center.

The City of Victoria Parks & Recreation will host its annual Fourth of July celebration—featuring a car show, liv...

City of Victoria, UHV break ground on Ben Wilson improvement project

PHOTO #1: The University of Houston-Victoria hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Ben Wilson Corridor Improvement Project on June 3. Shown from left are City Manager Jesús A. Garza, City Councilmember Josephine Soliz, Councilman Rafael DeLaGarza, UH...

Victoria Police Department swears in 8 new officers

PHOTO #1: From left, Roy Parker, Marcos Olivares, Martin Melgoza, Braden Kirbo, Joshua Homan, Christopher Doria, Wilfredo Cordova and Kayle Bowers were sworn in May 27 as new Victoria Police Department officers during a ceremony attended by local law enfo...

Library plans celebration to kick off summer reading program

PHOTO #1: Grupo Folklorico de Victoria performs in the Bronte Room during the Victoria Public Library Fun Fest Kickoff Celebration in 2021.

PHOTO #2: Children visit a booth to learn about the Victoria Fire Department during the Victoria Public Library Fun ...

Local batters win glory in home run derby competition

PHOTO #1: Winners of the home run derby competition hosted by Parks & Recreation pose for a group photo May 20 during the Riverside Stadium 75th anniversary celebration.

PHOTO #2: Young athletes from local Little League teams take part in a youth showc...

AT&T to bring its high-speed fiber internet service to Victoria

AT&T has begun the process of installing a state-of-the-art fiber optic network that will provide Victoria residents with another option for ultrafast and reliable high-speed internet.

“One of the goals of the Victoria Broadband Commission ha...

City of Victoria first responders partner with VISD for Shattered Dreams

Victoria Fire Department Fire Captain Nathan Ojeda bandages a student’s arm at the scene of a simulated drunken driving crash as part of the Shattered Dreams event at Victoria East High School on May 12. The event is hosted by VISD to teach stud...

City marks Riverside Stadium anniversary with entertainment, history

PHOTO: Historic photos and other items loaned by residents will be on display at Riverside Stadium’s 75th anniversary celebration May 20-21.

Residents are invited to celebrate Riverside Stadium’s 75th anniversary May 20-21 with skills c...

O’Connor Elementary School student wins City coloring contest

Amaya Celine Alvarez, a third-grade student at O’Connor Elementary School, is the winner of a coloring contest hosted by the City of Victoria for Public Service Recognition Week (May 1-7). First- to third-grade students from Aloe Elementary Scho...

Keep Victoria Beautiful earns Gold Star Affiliate status

PHOTO #1: Students with Crossroads Business and Education Connection’s YOUth LEADership Conference place flowers in a hanging planter at Keep Victoria Beautiful’s headquarters on July 15, 2021. Keep Victoria Beautiful hosted the sevent...

City promotes water conservation due to low rainfall upstream

The City of Victoria is asking residents to conserve water as the Guadalupe River falls below its normal level for this time of year due to low rainfall upstream.

Residents can help the City conserve water by following these tips:

• Do not over-water your law...

Victoria Police Department to host free fishing event

The Victoria Police Department will host “Casting with Cops,” a free youth fishing event, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 18 at Son Valley Ranch to strengthen the relationship between Victoria’s youth and VPD officers. 

During...

Keep Victoria Beautiful launches beautification grant program

PHOTO: Santa Rita Market received the Keep Victoria Beautiful Business Beautification Award for May. KVB officials plan to help even more property owners beautify their spaces with a new grant program.

Keep Victoria Beautiful is partnering with private don...

Residents approve all 14 charter amendments

Residents voted to approve all 14 proposed amendments to the City charter during the May 7 joint special election.

The amendments, which were developed by a volunteer committee of residents, can be viewed online at www.victoriatx.gov/charter.&...

Amanda Berry appointed to Victoria Housing Authority Board

Mayor Jeff Bauknight has appointed Amanda Berry to the Victoria Housing Authority Board, which oversees public housing for low-income residents, to fill a two-year term that will expire in 2024. In this role, she will help guide development of a forthcomi...

Accessibility mission prepares court for pandemic-era success

By Sam Hankins, City of Victoria communications specialist

This article originally appeared in the May issue of Texas Town & City, published by the Texas Municipal League.

PHOTO #1: Municipal Court staff pose for a photo with the Tyler Excellence Award ...

Victoria Police Department to gift bikes through Wal-Mart grant

PHOTO: Local children attend a bike rodeo hosted by the Victoria Police Department in 2015 at Wal-Mart.

The Victoria Police Department will have the opportunity to gift bicycles and safety gear to dozens of children throughout the community thanks to a $5,...

Deputy city attorney promoted to city attorney

Allison Lacey was recently promoted to city attorney for the City of Victoria. In this position, she will serve as the legal advisor for the City, a role that includes representing the City in legal proceedings as well as drafting and reviewing ordinances...

Keep Victoria Beautiful awards teams with most trash, most unusual find

Keep Victoria Beautiful volunteers took part in a record-setting cleanup Earth Day weekend—and they found some interesting things along the way.

City of Victoria Community Appearance Manager Christy Youker announced awards for the cleanup at the M...

Victoria Public Library seeks input on strategic plan

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Public Library collaborated with Free Art Victoria to host a window-painting event for teens on April 21.

When the Victoria Public Library first opened in the 1970s, libraries were mainly warehouses for books.

Since then, the scope of...

2 in intensive care after wreck near Spring Creek Drive

The two occupants of a 2018 Chevy Traverse that was in a wreck May 5 are currently in intensive care at Brooke Army Medical Center.

The wreck occurred about 5 p.m. May 5. The Traverse was traveling southbound on North Main Street and turning left onto Spri...

Victoria Fire Department earns statewide Best Practices designation again

The Victoria Fire Department was again named a Best Practices Fire Department—a designation that recognizes fire departments that meet high standards in every area of job performance—by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association at the TFCA&...

Victoria Police Department to host community meetings

PHOTO: Residents attend a community meeting hosted by the Victoria Police Department in 2021 at Victoria ISD’s F.W. Gross campus.

Residents will have an opportunity to learn about the Victoria Police Department and other local government groups t...

Victoria Police Department, Prosperity Bank host secure document disposal

From left, Victoria Police Department Deputy Chief Chuck Young and Prosperity Bank Chairman John Zacek help unload documents from a resident’s vehicle during the Shred-it secure document disposal event April 23 at Prosperity Bank. VPD and Prospe...

Keep Victoria Beautiful sees record-setting turnout for Earth Day cleanup

Young community members pose for a photo April 23 before the citywide Earth Day weekend cleanup hosted by Keep Victoria Beautiful. During the event, 230 volunteers picked up 139 bags of trash (along with other bulky items) at eight sites along public high...

City joins Texas PACE program to encourage development

PHOTO #1: Renovations at the Barfield Building in Amarillo were funded by a PACE program loan that enabled power and water efficiency improvements at the historic building. Photo contributed by Texas PACE Authority 

The Victoria City Coun...

Parks & Recreation ready to take on mosquitoes with updated program

April showers don’t just bring May flowers; they also bring mosquitoes. Fortunately, the City of Victoria Parks & Recreation is ready to take on the pesky insects with its new integrated mosquito management program.

The program includes updat...

City hires new manager for Victoria Main Street Program

The City of Victoria has hired Kate Garcia as the new Main Street manager. In this role, she will spearhead downtown development and revitalization efforts in coordination with City management and the Victoria Main Street Program board of directors, opera...

City of Victoria Public Works announces certifications, promotion

City of Victoria Public Works utility maintenance worker Adolfo Mireles Arizpe earned his Class D water operator license from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Class D license is an occupational license certifying that an individual has t...

City attorney says goodbye, takes public service to next level

Whether he’s in a classroom, a conference hall or the council chambers, City Attorney Thomas Gwosdz has always had a passion for public service.

Gwosdz (his last name rhymes with “push”) will retire from the City on June 30 af...

EMS battalion chief named to health care nonprofit’s education committee

Victoria Fire Department EMS Battalion Chief Mark Martyn has been appointed to serve on the Texas EMS, Trauma & Acute Care Foundation’s education committee. TETAF is a nonprofit that supports the state health care system by surveying facilit...

City attorney named to statewide Society for Legal Scholars

City Attorney Thomas Gwosdz has been awarded fellowship in the Society for Legal Scholars by the Texas Bar College. The Texas Bar College is a legal society that recognizes and encourages lawyers who maintain and enhance their professional skills and the ...

City honors COVID-19 Response Team for protecting employees, public

PHOTO #1: City Manager Jesús A. Garza recognized the City’s COVID-19 Response Team during the April 5 City Council meeting. These employees helped coordinate the City’s internal efforts to protect employees, their families a...

City suspends Bootfest, prepares for 2024 bicentennial anniversary

Victoria’s 200^th anniversary is coming up in 2024, and the City of Victoria is starting preparations now to ensure that the bicentennial celebration is one for the history books.

Joel Novosad, director of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, bri...

Action agenda update shows progress on 2035 Comprehensive Plan goals

The City is making significant progress on beautification, fixing roads and other goals outlined in the 2035 Comprehensive Plan, according to the latest update on the 2021-2023 Action Agenda.

The City develops a new action agenda every three to four years,...

Victoria Police Department swears in girl fighting cancer

The Victoria Police Department hosted a private swearing-in ceremony for Keimryn Lee, a local girl fighting cancer, on March 31 at City Hall. The event was attended by Keimryn’s family, members of the Victoria Police Department and other City of...

Victoria Police Department offers advice to protect vehicles from criminals

This year is shaping up to be another busy one for vehicle burglaries, and the Victoria Police Department is reminding residents that taking simple precautions can help them avoid being targeted.

More than 100 vehicle burglaries have been reported in Victo...

Victoria Fire Department’s Station One temporarily relocates

The Victoria Fire Department has temporarily moved out of Victoria Fire Station One, 606 E. Goodwin Ave., for renovations.

The renovations are expected to be complete in nine to 12 months.

Response crews have been relocated within the district to City of Vi...

Keep Victoria Beautiful earns $7,300 grant for multiple programs

PHOTO #1: About 160 volunteers attended the Silver City neighborhood cleanup hosted by Keep Victoria Beautiful on March 5. Community members collected 67 tons of brush and bulky trash and 215 tires at 41 residences during the cleanup.

PHOTO #2: An H-E-B te...

New infill housing program seeks to turn abandoned lots into home sites

Faced with high housing costs and run-down vacant lots, the City of Victoria is proposing to kill two birds with one stone: Why not fill the lots with houses?

The City is partnering with the Victoria Housing Finance Corporation to create an infill housing ...

Council approves first phase of citywide lighting project

PHOTO #1: The City installed LED lights at Queen City Park and Pine Street Park last year.

The City Council at its March 1 meeting approved the first phase of a project that will replace all 4,052 of Victoria’s amber-colored high-pressure sodium (HPS) ligh...

Victoria Rotary Club donates $1,000 for downtown crosswalk art

PHOTO #1: This concept art provided by local artist Josh Vega of Free Art Victoria shows a proposed design for a crosswalk in downtown Victoria.

A recent donation from the Victoria Rotary Club will help the City of Victoria Main Street Program to implement...

City of Victoria names new economic development director

City of Victoria Main Street Program Executive Director Danielle Williams will apply her passion for supporting small businesses to a wider area in her new role as economic development director for the City of Victoria.

The City created this role last year...

Parks & Recreation master plan paves the way for long-sought dog park

PHOTO #1: The City of Victoria will construct a dog park in Riverside Park.

PHOTO #2: This map shows the proposed location of a new dog park within Riverside Park according to the Parks & Recreation master plan.

The implementation of the newly approved ...

Strategic economic development partnership will bring modern, affordable housing to Victoria

Press release from The NRP Group

With a population nearing 70,000, Victoria, Texas, is a growing community in need of additional low-cost workforce housing options for new and current residents. Victoria's community leaders, along with multi-family housing...

City’s Victoria Broadband Commission seeks to expand broadband options with Sparklight partnership

City officials are pleased to announce Sparklight, a nationally recognized internet provider, will build a state-of-the-art fiber optic network in Victoria that will provide another option for fast and reliable high-speed internet.

The multimillio...

City of Victoria attracts developer for workforce housing project

This story was updated April 20, 2022, to change the expected completion date to November 2022 and to add contact information for leasing inquiries.

Realtex Development Corporation will begin construction Aug. 2 on Enchanted Gardens Apartments, a new affor...

City seeks input on how to spend federal COVID-19 aid

The City of Victoria has received millions in federal aid to help the Victoria community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and protect itself against future disasters, and residents can have a say in how the money is spent.

The City will receive $14,508,2...

City receives $621,000 grant to repair duck pond

UPDATE: This story was updated Nov. 16 to reflect the updated schedule for the duck pond restoration. More information about the project is included in this Sept. 21 memo to City Council.

PHOTO #1: The Riverside Park duck pond is seen in this 2014 file pho...