Ever wondered what’s happening in Victoria? For the past year, residents have been turning to the City’s Town Talk podcast as a trusted source. From updates about new businesses to straight talk about the challenges facing our community, Town Talk has plenty of information for residents who are eager to learn about local government.

Drawing inspiration from popular unscripted podcasts that feature rotating guests, we invite local leaders to speak about issues that impact our community, breaking through the formality of scripted announcements to offer candid insight. The show gives our audience the opportunity to be a fly on the wall while getting an inside perspective on local government. Our educated subject matter experts are the cornerstone of this podcast, and we’re thankful to everyone who has come on the show during the past year to share their knowledge and experiences.

Here are just a few of the things Town Talk has brought to the table during our first season:

• Meet your City leaders: We bring in the leaders of various City departments—the Fire Marshal’s Office, Economic Development, Public Works and many more—to share a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to keep the City running.
• Learn about other agencies: The City could never succeed without our local government and nonprofit partners. That’s why we invite leaders from other agencies—like our local hospitals, Victoria ISD and the Victoria Office of Emergency Management—to talk more about the roles they play in Growing Victoria.
• Word on the streets: We take a closer look at the buzz (or “word on the streets”) about common questions and concerns, sometimes about literal streets.

While the majority of our episodes have been light-hearted and educational, there are times when pressing updates need to be delivered in a manner that addresses the news head-on. From our mayor discussing the Growing Victoria initiative to City leaders hitting us with the arrival of Burlington/5 Below/Ulta to the city’s water system review subcommittee and its findings, we’ve capitalized on the increasingly popular podcast format as a way to facilitate crucial conversations.

Town Talk has garnered positive feedback in its first year, with audiences chiming in on social media and at community events to discuss their favorite topics and offer suggestions. Not only that, but the podcast has earned an Award of Excellence from the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers, and it’s also a finalist for the Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors Government Programming Awards. 

So, what’s next for Town Talk? After our next episode debuts later this month, we’ll take a short break before beginning our second season early next year. 2026 is shaping up to be another big year for advancing our community in many ways, and we hope that you’ll tune in and never miss an update!

In the meantime, you can get your information fix by visiting www.victoriatx.gov/communications, where you can learn all about how to stay connected with the City, including through our Alert Center (now with the option to receive notifications about news releases—check it out!) and, of course, Citizens Academy, which is accepting applications through Oct. 31 at www.victoriatx.gov/citizensacademy.

The first year of Town Talk has been an incredible journey, and we’re excited to continue educating the public on local issues through candid conversation that goes beyond a video script. We’ll see you next season!

If you’ve never watched or listened to Town Talk—or if you’ve missed a few episodes—now is the perfect time to catch up before the new year. All episodes are available on YouTube at Victoria Texas Videos and on Spotify at Town Talk (City of Victoria).

Ashley Strevel is the director of Communications & Public Affairs for the City of Victoria.