Why This Texas Town Lowered Taxes While Growing
The City of Helotes sits at the gateway to the Texas Hill Country—and with growth accelerating across Central Texas, the city is facing the same hard questions many small towns are struggling with.
In this episode of The Building Texas Show host Justin McKenzie sits down with Helotes Mayor Rich Whitehead for a candid, inside look at how a growing Texas city balances development, financial discipline, identity, and civic responsibility—without losing what makes it special.
From @JohnTFloores and Market Days to land-use strategy, tax policy, and citizen engagement, Mayor Whitehead breaks down what it really takes to steward a community into the future.
This conversation is essential viewing for:
City leaders and council members
Developers and planners
Small-town advocates
Texans curious about how growth actually gets managed
Topics Covered:
Managing growth along Highway 16
Preserving historic downtown Helotes
Debt-free city strategy
Why Helotes lowered property taxes
ETJ development and annexation
Civic apathy vs civic responsibility
Why good leadership still needs citizen involvement
Learn more about @CityofHelotesTexas
City of Helotes: https://www.helotes-tx.gov
Helotes Economic Development Corporation (https://helotesedc.com/)
Subscribe to @thebuildingtexasshow for conversations about Texas cities, leadership, entrepreneurship, and the future of our communities.
