What a beautiful day we shared on Easter Sunday. I sincerely hope that your family and friends enjoyed the day and found hope in its meaning for many of us. It is that kind of spirit that makes our district such a wonderful place to live and raise a family. My office continues to try to make a difference for all the law-abiding citizens of District 10.

Developers of housing, retail and office products continue to scour the area for new development potential. Northwest Terrace and Plano Terrace apartments are scheduled to be removed sometime this summer. Ashton Homes will build townhouses on the property, according to Winston Property executives, owner and developer of the two complexes.

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The Wal-Mart project is underway at Abrams and Forest/LBJ. The crime rate in the area has already diminished, according to my weekly report from the Northeast Substation. The Town Center location is now back under consideration by two local developers as Charter Properties moves ahead with the total renovation of Kingsley Square.

Downtown we are beginning to put the final touches on the proposed November bond package. If the city’s need list were put together, it would be worth $7 billion. We’re going back through each of the categories and paring down to the most prominent needs in each area. What we’re going to end up with is something between $1.4 billion and $1.6 billion, and what a $1 billion package boils down to is about $70 over a five-year period for a $200,000 home.

We are also working on the initial stages of preparing the annual budget. The police and fire department personnel levels remain the leading topics in the budget category. The training and equipping of a new police officer runs about $100,000 per officer. Please write or e-mail me about how you feel regarding a bond package category for this or a tax increase to cover the cost of 300 new officers over the next three years. Keep in mind, the officers we currently have on the force want up to a 15 percent raise as well.

Please, before the Council adjourns for our annual July break, let me hear from you regarding what you think we need in Lake Highlands to improve your quality of life. Ideas are a wonderful thing to have available when you need them.

Once again, I continue to thank you for allowing me to represent you and our beloved Lake Highlands at City Hall.