Cedar Park celebrated its 40-year anniversary at its Feb. 28 City Council meeting.

Mayor Matt Powell congratulated the city on four decades since its incorporation, which officially took place Feb. 24, 1973. The council spent the first hour of its regularly scheduled meeting recognizing the milestone in a near-capacity Cedar Park City Hall.

The birthday celebration began by recognizing previous city officials and staff, including nearly a dozen former aldermen and council members in attendance. Elected officials past and present also took part in a private breakfast Feb. 23, Powell said.

The gathering was enlightening, the first-year mayor said, as they recalled the steps taken to bring Cedar Park to prominence.

"I think it's pretty remarkable the community has been created collaboratively—not by any one person ... but by residents who have taken an interest in their community," Powell said to start the Feb. 28 celebration. "My family wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world."

The city also received recognition in the form of a state proclamation presented Feb. 21 at the Capitol by state Rep. Tony Dale, who served on Cedar Park City Council until last November when the he was elected to represent the newly created District 136. Dale presented the proclamation to his former colleague Powell.

"Whereas," Dale read aloud, "Cedar Park experienced a population boom in the years following its incorporation, growing from 700 to approximately 54,000 people in only four decades ..."

The proclamation goes on to wish Cedar Park continued success on behalf of the 83rd Texas Legislature. Powell, in turn, congratulated Dale for representing Cedar Park at the municipal and state level, presenting him with the first city-issued coin.

The 40-year celebration concluded with a short film on the city's origins and culture.