At a Dec. 14 Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce meeting, Cedar Park Mayor Matt Powell discussed the state of the city, which he said now includes more than 70,000 residents. “We’re so excited that not only is this a great place to move a business to, but the businesses that are here are thriving and expanding,” he said. Sales tax revenue has increased over previous years—the city brought in more than $24 million, Powell said. Since revenue was up, City Council voted to lower the property tax rate for the fourth-consecutive year, he said. “We’ve always said if you shop local more, generally you will see your property tax rates fall,” he said. Powell said residents could expect a new development on Parmer Lane to be announced in the next three to four months. He also noted infrastructure improvements to the city over the past year, including the RM 1431 pass-through project, which celebrated its completion with a ribbon cutting in November. The city of Cedar Park, Williamson County and the Texas Department of Transportation partnered on the project to rebuild RM 1431 into a six-lane, divided roadway between Market Street and CR 175/Sam Bass Road. According to TxDOT, drivers passing through the Parmer/Ronald Reagan Boulevard and East Whitestone Boulevard continuous-flow intersection during weekday mornings have seen their travel times decrease by about 40 percent. At the chamber lunch, Powell said the project is the first of its kind in the region. “As they say with every project, it’ll be great when it’s done. Well, it’s done, and it’s great,” he said. Powell also mentioned the Bell Boulevard redevelopment project and said its progress would likely be one of the city’s biggest challenges in 2017. He said he was proud that despite major transportation and infrastructure changes to Cedar Park, the city has maintained its small-town, community feel. Residents have more options for entertainment and dining, but the city has bucked the trend of crime and tax rates rising with its population, Powell said. The city was recently awarded an AA+ bond rating—the second-highest rating a city can earn, he said.