HARLINGEN — Mayor Chris Boswell is set to deliver the annual State of City address Friday, pointing to the year’s triumphs while focusing on the city’s future.
The Rotary Club of Harlingen is holding the event at noon at the Harlingen Convention Center.
“I’m looking forward to it because of the accomplishments that we’ve made,” Boswell said Thursday.
During the speech, he plans to make “a special announcement,” he said, declining to disclose details.
“The speech will highlight current and future projects, financial stability, public safety, healthcare and air travel,” Irma Garza, the city’s spokeswoman, stated in a press release.
Sold out
This year, the event is drawing more community interest, drawing 400 guests while booking 50 tables of eight.
“We’re sold out,” Lucy Cadenas, the club’s president, said. “We’re trying to accommodate them but the venue can only hold so many. Usually, the State of the City address always draws many, many people. It’s a campaign year — a political year — so there’s a lot of people who want to come and see what’s going on.”
Long tradition
Since about the time of its founding 99 years ago, the Rotary Club has held the event, Cadenas said.
“This is a Rotary meeting and the mayor is our guest speaker,” she said. “This is one of our big events. We are business people and we live and work in the city so we like to know what’s happening.”
Net proceeds to commemorate Rotary’s 100 years
To put on the event, the city is spending $14,395, City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said.
Of the total, $6,795 is going to pay for projection screens, microphones, sound and video recording along with linens, flowers and table-top “promotional items,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said, $7,600 is going to buy meals for guests.
This year, the Rotary Club is planning to earmark the event’s net proceeds to help commemorate the local organization’s founding, Cadenas said.
“We’re going to give back to the city of Harlingen something nice to commemorate our 100 years in the community,” she said.
