News Flash

City of Victoria closings for Memorial Day observance

All nonemergency offices at the City of Victoria will close Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day.

The Victoria Public Library will be closed.

The compost site will be closed. The landfill will close early at 4 p.m.

Garbage, curbside recycling, yard ...

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...

Santa Rita Market earns City beautification award

Keep Victoria Beautiful staff and Santa Rita Market employees pose for a photo May 3 at Santa Rita Market, 107 W. Santa Rosa St. Santa Rita Market received the Business Beautification Award for the month of May. The award is given monthly to recognize bus...

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...

City will temporarily treat water using chlorine

The City of Victoria will temporarily change its water disinfection process starting Wednesday, June 1, but most residents will not notice a difference.

The City will disinfect its water using chlorine rather than chloramines for approximately one month. T...

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 Police Department to host community events

PHOTO: Residents visit with law enforcement officials during Coffee with a Cop in 2021. The Victoria Police Department will host Coffee with a Cop on June 3 at the department’s Victoria Mall office.

The Victoria Police Department is providing res...

Municipal Court partners with The Bridge Program to host mock trial

PHOTO #1: Municipal Court Judge Vanessa Heinold poses for a photo with students of The Bridge Program at The Vine School on April 29. Heinold has been visiting the class twice a week since April 1 to help them prepare for a mock trial.

The City of Victoria...

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&...

Get a free car seat checkup and avoid the 5 most common car seat mistakes

Press release from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Most parents think they are using their car seats correctly, but unfortunately, most car seats are used improperly. For a car seat to best protect your child, it must fit your child and your vehicle, and ...

City seeks input on updates to development standards

This story was updated May 18 to include the new response deadline.

PHOTO: A pop-up survey at www.victoriaudo.com invites residents to share their input about the City’s development codes.

The City of Victoria is seeking community input on a new u...

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...

City of Victoria hires first sports tourism manager

The City of Victoria’s first sports tourism manager is a marketing expert with 23 years of experience helping her clients share what makes them stand out.

“My goal is to make sure Victoria is always front and center when tournament directors are looking fo...

Municipal Court to host first “outreach docket” at Salvation Army shelter

Residents who are unable to attend traditional Municipal Court dockets will have a chance to resolve their warrants when the court hosts its first outreach docket 9 a.m.-12 p.m. April 4 at the Salvation Army shelter, 1304 N. Louis St.

Municipal Court Judge...

Victoria Fire Department to inspect fire hydrants citywide

PHOTO: Victoria Fire Department Lt. Nick Mosmeyer checks to make sure that the water flowing from a fire hydrant is clear and free of contaminants during an annual maintenance check in 2020. 

Beginning in April, the Victoria Fire Department will p...

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...

City of Victoria’s police and fire departments to host Lunch and Learn

The City of Victoria’s police and fire departments will host a monthly “Lunch and Learn” event at the Victoria County Public Health Department. 

On the second Wednesday of each month, community members will have the o...

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 ...

Keep Victoria Beautiful hosts cleanup, outreach in Silver City

Community members pose for a group photo March 5 before the Silver City neighborhood cleanup hosted by Keep Victoria Beautiful. About 160 volunteers helped residents move brush and bulky trash to their curbs during the cleanup. The City of Victoria Enviro...

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...

Local donor partners with library to establish early literacy program

PHOTO #1: A local resident, Marylouise Allen, recently donated $3,000 toward the creation of an early literacy program at the Victoria Public Library. Shown from left are youth programs supervisor Noelle Elkins and Marylouise Allen.

A resident wants to hon...

Victoria Fire Department swears in new employees, announces promotion

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Fire Department swore in three new employees during a Feb. 18 ceremony at Victoria Fire Department Station Six. Shown from left are Firefighter/EMT Jakob Marshall, Paramedic Crew Leader Rachel Rings and Firefighter/EMT Nicolas Chapa...

First responder agencies swear in boy fighting cancer

PHOTO: Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel recites an oath as he is sworn in to multiple law enforcement agencies Feb. 18 during a ceremony at the Victoria County Courthouse.

Multiple City and County first responder agencies gained a brave young offi...

Convention & Visitors Bureau adds station at Victoria Regional Airport

PHOTO #1: The City of Victoria Convention & Visitors Bureau partnered with the Victoria Regional Airport to add a digital concierge station to the airport’s Jaguar Den reception area.

PHOTO #2: Visitors to the Victoria Regional Airport can us...

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...

TxDOT to start work on Loop 463 beautification project

PHOTO #1: A concept rendering shows the proposed design for new landscaping on Loop 463 near Navarro Street.

If you happen to be driving in the area of Navarro and the Loop next week, you’ll likely see TxDOT contractor crews scoping out the site of a bloss...

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...

City of Victoria establishes tax increment reinvestment zone downtown

PHOTO #1: A conceptual rendering provided by consulting firm Freese & Nichols as part of the downtown master plan shows an enhanced streetscape and increased business activity on Main Street. The City is establishing a tax increment reinvestment zone ...

City Council adopts updates to storm drainage master plan

The City of Victoria is in a better position to pursue drainage solutions based on accurate data after the City Council on Dec. 7 adopted a series of updates to the storm drainage master plan.

The City of Victoria’s previous storm drainage master...

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 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...