More than bluebonnets

Bluebonnet destination near Dallas flourishes as No. 4 best suburb in state

Ennis has been designated the “Official Bluebonnet City" — and for good reason.

Photo courtesy of Visit Ennis

The North Texas city known as a bluebonnet capital of Texas each spring is also one of the state's best overall suburbs. Ennis lands at No. 4 in a recent SmartAsset ranking of the best suburbs near a large city in Texas. Nationally, it's ranked 102nd.

Ennis, about 40 miles southeast of Dallas (some might say too far to qualify as a "suburb"), earns a score of 59.47 (out of 100) in the affordability category, 84.60 in the jobs category, and 43.83 in the livability category in the SmartAsset study.

While many North Texans know about Ennis' famed Bluebonnet Trails and might have caught a race or two at the Texas Motorplex, the city's website also touts its many reasons to move there - quality of life, top-rated schools, and more.

"Ennis is a thriving Texas community of 18,513. Our unique downtown architecture is recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, and as a community we seek to retain the historic charm of the turn of the century through a variety of festivals and beautification programs," the city's website says. "Ennis is a nurturing place. We grow and support a productive, motivated and well educated citizenry."

Brownsburg, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis, tops SmartAsset's national ranking.

Among Texas suburbs, a San Antonio neighbor that touts its coveted presence in “God’s Country” - Hondo - lands at No. 1. Hondo is ranked No. 32 nationally. The community, 40 miles west of San Antonio, earns a score of 90.48 (out of 100) in the affordability category, 72.02 in the jobs category, and 47.84 in the livability category.

The City of Hondo website notes the presence in Hondo of its well-known sign, which declares: "THIS IS GOD’S COUNTRY, PLEASE DON’T DRIVE THROUGH IT LIKE HELL." Hondo, whose population exceeds 9,300, has used that trademarked phrase for more than 80 years “to preserve the city’s natural beauty” and to promote the city as a convention and tourism destination.

Other Texas suburbs ranked in the SmartAsset study are:

Burnet (Austin), No. 53
Cedar Park (Austin), No. 62
New Braunfels (San Antonio), No. 106
Georgetown (Austin), No. 116
Taylor (Austin), No. 118
Boerne (San Antonio), No. 126.
Rockport (Corpus Christi), No. 137
Sealy (Houston), No. 170

For the study, SmartAsset analyzed 13 metrics related to jobs, affordability, and livability for nearly 500 suburbs within a 15-minute to one-hour drive of a city with at least 250,000 residents.

“Large cities can be a great option for anyone looking for a walkable, fast-paced environment with easy access to shops and restaurants. However, the hustle and bustle of a large city isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition for everyone,” SmartAsset says. “Large cities are often expensive … and may have higher crime rates than their surrounding areas. Suburbs, in turn, can offer more affordable housing, lower crime rates, and a variety of entertainment options.”

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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