Manor Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey appeared on The Building Texas Show to discuss how the city is managing explosive growth, including a 225% population increase between 2013 and 2023, with an additional 22,000 residents expected by 2030. The episode, hosted by Justin McKenzie, explores the policy decisions behind Manor's transformation from a bedroom community to a full-service city amid a surge in semiconductor manufacturing and logistics hubs.
Harvey highlighted that Manor is building its first city-owned library and recreation center, funded by a recent bond election. He described these projects as 'phase one' of catching up on civic infrastructure that the 153-year-old city has never had. A feasibility study is also underway for a proposed 50-bed hospital, supported by a relationship with St. David's, which already operates a full-service emergency center in downtown Manor.
The mayor addressed the city's efforts to diversify its tax base beyond residential property and recoup sales tax revenue that was committed away in a 1985 vote. 'The tax rate is not the tax rate because we want it to be a high tax rate. Being able to get to a lower tax rate is city leadership's dream,' Harvey said, emphasizing that lowering the rate is tied to long-term economic development.
Manor's first-ever comprehensive plan, a 600-page document mapping the next 30 years of growth, guides these initiatives. The episode also covered workforce development partnerships with Manor ISD, which was the city's largest employer before logistics and semiconductor suppliers arrived. Harvey described regular meetings between the city manager and the superintendent to share demographic data and connect new companies to student career pathways.
McKenzie drew parallels to other Texas cities facing similar healthcare gaps, noting that Garland is the largest city in the country without a hospital and that Bastrop faces comparable challenges. Manor's 50-bed hospital ambitions, he said, are part of a statewide reckoning with suburban growth, public safety, and public health.
For more details, listen to the full episode of The Building Texas Show, available on podcast platforms and YouTube.
