Pearland City Council lays out strategic priorities ahead of budget season

The city of Pearland has set new priorities that broadly aim to create greater transparency, allow businesses to thrive and enhance the quality of life in the city.

On March 27, Pearland City Council voted 7-0 to affirm new strategic priorities for the city, including building a trusted government, strong economy, safe community, sustainable infrastructure, resilient finances and a whole community.

For each priority, the council has identified milestones, some of which include building a well-planned foundation for water, transportation and flooding infrastructure, as well as attracting new investments from businesses.

The decision follows the City Council’s attendance of a Feb. 18 strategic visioning retreat that outlined the strategic vision for Pearland’s future.

The retreat, which was the council’s third, was attended by five Pearland City Council members, interim City Manager Trent Epperson and several members of the city’s senior staff.

“This put strategic planning back in the council’s hands. I’m thankful yet again to do this process,” Mayor Kevin Cole said.

Over the next year, city staff will develop measurable tasks for each of the milestones to ensure the progress for each priority. They will also look at the budgetary implications of each milestone.

“When we do our budget, if our budgeted item does not tag back to one of these items, we question whether or not it's needed,” Cole said.

The deliverable outcomes for each of the priorities will be presented to the council during the budgeting process for the 2024 fiscal year.