Town Yearly Awards - 2020

No. 4 ’Safest City in Texas’

Flower Mound is the No. 4 “Safest City in Texas,” according to a study by LendEDU, an online tool helping consumers learn about and compare financial services. In terms of population, Flower Mound is the largest city in the top 10, receiving a safety score of 94.18. Researchers ranked over 1,200 cities in the country based on the rate of violent and other crimes. Results showed Flower Mound was ranked the No. 123 safest city in the U.S. Read the full report here.

No. 7 ‘Safest City to Raise a Child’

Flower Mound is the No. 7 “Safest City to Raise a Child” in the country, according to a study by SafeWise, a community-focused security organization. To compile the list, researchers examined the most recent FBI crimes data. Flower Mound is also the only Texas community in the top 20. View the full study online. 

No. 9 ’Most Livable Small City in the U.S.’

Flower Mound is the No. 9 “Most Livable Small City in the U.S.,” according to a study by Smart Asset, an online personal finance company. Researchers examined cities with populations between 65,000 and 100,000, comparing 10 key factors, including home affordability, healthcare accessibility, income equality, entertainment options, and commute times. Flower Mound is also the only Texas community in the top 25. The full study can be found online.

No. 10 ’Safest Place to Live in Texas’

Flower Mound was ranked the No. 10 “Safest Place to Live in Texas” by Elite Personal Finance, an online tool for financial advice. To compile the results, researchers ranked cities based on recent FBI crime statistics. Breaking down the report further, Flower Mound is ranked the No. 2 safest place to live in Texas with a population between 30,000 and 100,000 residents.

No. 1 ‘Best Suburb to Buy a House in the DFW Area’

Flower Mound is the No. 1 “Best Suburb to Buy a House in the DFW Area,” according to Niche, an online resource with comprehensive report cards and rankings on U.S. neighborhoods, schools, and more. Researchers based the findings off of key factors, including home values, property taxes, home ownership rates, housing costs, and real estate trends from the U.S. Census, FBI, and other data sources. Read the full report here. In addition, Flower Mound was named the No. 6 "Best Suburb to Buy a House in Texas." 

No. 2 Fastest Growing Real Estate Markets for 2021 in Texas

Flower Mound was recently named one of Texas’ fastest growing real estate markets for 2021, according to Aceable Agent, an online real estate school. Out of eight Texas cities to make the list, Flower Mound was listed as No. 2. The article states the fastest-growing real estate markets are in “highly sought-after areas of the state” and “tend to have excellent school districts and offer more bang for the buck.” View the entire article online. 

No. 5 ‘Most Budget-Friendly City for Renters’ in Texas

Flower Mound is the No.5 “Most Budget-Friendly City for Renters” in Texas, and No. 108 in the U.S., according to LendEDU, a financial services website. According to the report, Flower Mound has an average rent-to-income ratio of 15.65 percent, with its average annual rent cost of $21,209 and a median household income of $135,557. It is recommended that a person’s rent should cost no more than 30 percent of their annual income, so these numbers speak to Flower Mound’s proximity to high-paying jobs relative to the affordable housing in the area. To compile the results, the company used real estate data from the U.S. Census Bureau on over 25,000 cities and ranked them according to its rent-to-income ratio (proportion of a city’s median household income that goes to annual rent costs). Read the full report online.

No. 11 ‘Best Suburb to Raise a Family in Texas’

Flower Mound is the No. 11 “Best Suburb to Raise a Family in Texas,” according to Niche, an online research tool with comprehensive report cards, rankings, and reviews on U.S. neighborhoods, schools, and more. Researchers ranked cities by many key factors, including quality of local schools, safety, affordability, and access to family amenities. Read the full report online. In addition, Flower Mound was recognized as the No. 1 "Best Place to Live in Denton County" and No. 14 "Best Place to Raise a Family in Texas."

No. 5 City with Highest Percentage of College Graduates in Texas

Flower Mound is the No. 5 Texas city with the highest percentage of college graduates, according to LendEDU, an online tool helping consumers learn about and compare financial services. Researchers ranked over 25,000 U.S. cities, comparing percentage of college graduates to a city’s current population. Flower Mound was ranked No. 81 in the U.S. Read the full report here.

No. 8 ‘City that Gives Homeowners with a Mortgage the Best Return on Investment’ in Texas

Flower Mound is ranked the No. 8 city in Texas that gives homeowners with a mortgage the best return on investment, according to a study by LendEDU, an online tool helping consumers learn about and compare financial services. Researchers ranked over 25,000 U.S. cities by analyzing both home value and expense (monthly mortgage and utilities costs), compiled from the latest data and estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Read the full report here.

No. 16 ‘Safest Midsize City in Texas’

Flower Mound is the No. 16 “Safest Midsize City in Texas,” according to a study by Advisor Smith, a business research website. Researchers examined 655 Texas cities and compared violent and property crime reports published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine crime scores. Flower Mound received a score of 15.3, while the average midsize city crime score was 51. Read the full report online.

Planning Division Receives State Recognition

The Town’s Planning Division was awarded the Texas Planning Association’s 2020 Certificate of Achievement for the Planning Excellence Program. Flower Mound is one of only 35 communities in Texas to receive this honor. The certificate recognizes the Town’s efforts to increase professional planning awareness, meeting professional standards, enhance neighborhood and citizen recognition for planning efforts, help with economic development, and provide training opportunities for staff and Planning and Zoning Commissioners.

The Town's Planning Division posing for a photo in masks

American Public Works Association Accreditation 

In March, the Town’s Public Works Department received full accreditation by the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the second consecutive time. The accreditation verifies and recognizes that an agency is in full compliance with the recommended management practices set forth by the APWA. The recognition promotes excellence in the operation and management of a public works agency, its programs, and employees.

Best of Denton County Winners

Flower Mound Police Officer Justin Buck and the Flower Mound Fire Department were named “Best Police Officer” and “Best Fire Station” in the 2020 “Best of Denton County” publication.

The “Best Of” edition asked residents to cast votes in over 350 categories to help determine the best in everything from education, to beauty and wellness, to dining, entertainment, and retail. Officer Buck and the Flower Mound Fire Department were nominated and collected the most resident votes in the Community and Non-Profit category. 

head-shot of Flower Mound Police Officer Justin Buck

Arts and Humanities Programming Achievement Award

In November, the Parks and Recreation Department received the Art and Humanities Programming Achievement Award for the Town’s Art Treasure Hunt!

The award, given by the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) North Region, honors the most innovative and effective arts and humanities programs in North Texas. The Art Treasure Hunt highlights the importance of recycling and repurposing materials, while encouraging residents to tap into their creative and inner treasure hunter!

Mark Long, Krissi Oden, and Chuck Jennings posing with an award received by Parks and Recreation

Heritage Park Recognized with 'Outstanding Landscape Improvement' Award

The Town’s Parks and Recreation Department received the “Outstanding Landscape Improvement Award” for improvements to Heritage Park, the Town’s signature park, by the Texas Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The award recognizes individuals, organizations, or municipalities that have made significant contributions through tree planting and landscaping, while enhancing environmental protection, conservation, beautification, energy conservation, and wildlife protection with significant impact over the years. The final phase of Heritage Park construction was completed in 2019. The park features an 18-basket disc golf course, wildlife encounter nature trail with sculptures, Fort Wildflower playground, pond, pavilion, and much more.  

Heritage Park Named Living Magazine’s ‘Best City Park’

The readers have spoken, and Flower Mound’s Heritage Park was recently named “Best City Park” in the 2020 Living Magazine’s Best of Flower Mound Reader’s Choice publication. 

The eighth annual “Best Of” edition asked Living Magazine readers to cast votes in over 130 categories to help determine the best in dining, entertainment, healthcare, retail, and more in our area. 

Living Magazine "Best of 2020" award ribbon graphic

Peters Colony Memorial Park Master Plan Honored by Texas ASLA

The Peters Colony Memorial Park master plan recently received the “Designed Unrealized” Merit Award by the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). 

Each year, ASLA recognizes outstanding examples of work by Texas landscape architects. The Peters Colony Memorial Park master plan is a collaboration between the Town and MESA Design Group, who designed the park. 

The 3.3-acre park, located west of the Flower Mound Public Library, is the Town’s first park designed to provide a place for reflection of loved ones, first responders, and fallen military heroes. Town Council approved of the master plan in November 2019.

Fort Wildflower Named One of ’Best Playgrounds in DFW to Take Your Kids’

The Fort Wildflower playground in Flower Mound was named one of the "Best Playgrounds in DFW to Take Your Kids" to, according to Metroplex Social, a news source dedicated to Dallas and Fort Worth’s best communities, restaurants, parks, culture, and more. The article states Fort Wildflower is "hailed as one of the best playgrounds in DFW for toddlers," and features two playgrounds: a tot lot for 2-5 year olds and a main playground for 5-12 year olds. Fort Wildflower is located at 600 Spinks Rd.

The Town of Flower Mound Earns 2020 'Voice of the People' Award

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA), alongside Polco, an online community polling and survey platform, awarded Flower Mound the “2020 Voice of the People Award for Excellence in Recreation and Wellness.”

The award acknowledges local governments that take the best action on behalf of their communities and have the highest ratings from the National Community Survey (NCS), which is the gold standard in resident opinion surveys. The Town regularly conducts the NCS survey to gather feedback from the community.

“During multiple public input sessions and through the NCS, the residents of the Town of Flower Mound have consistently expressed their desire to have the best parks, trails, and recreation opportunities available,” said Assistant to the Town Manager JP Walton.

We made sure to listen to our residents’ wants and needs. Since 2014, Flower Mound has doubled the amount of land set aside for parks, opened the new Senior Center, and launched many new programs at the Community Activity Center (CAC). All of these upgrades were adopted and executed to meet our residents’ wishes.

“The Town’s commitment to excellence in Parks and Recreation is directly attributed to the residents of the Town of Flower Mound,” said Walton. “Through open engagement, Town staff has implemented the requests, wants, and needs of the community.”

This is the only national award that honors local governments based on feedback from residents. Read more about the award here: https://bit.ly/3rMU9R2.

The Town of Flower Mound Awarded Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

The Town of Flower Mound was recently awarded its 34th consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United State and Canada (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

The CAFR is published for the Town Council, residents, potential investors, and other interested persons. The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program. It is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and it represents a significant accomplishment by the Town of Flower Mound and its staff.

To view the latest CAFR, please visit https://bit.ly/3y4JZi7.