Manor Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey appeared on the latest episode of The Building Texas Show to discuss the city's rapid growth and infrastructure challenges. The 153-year-old city on Austin's eastern edge grew 225% between 2013 and 2023, and is preparing for an additional 22,000 residents by 2030, with 14,000 housing units in the planning pipeline. Harvey described the region as a 'Golden Triangle of Opportunity' driven by semiconductor manufacturing, logistics hubs, and Samsung-related suppliers.
During the roughly 30-minute conversation with host Justin McKenzie, Harvey outlined key policy choices behind Manor's transformation from a bedroom community to a full-service city. The city is building its first ever city-owned library and recreation center, funded through a recent bond election. A feasibility study supports a proposed 50-bed hospital, anchored by a relationship with St. David's, which already operates a full-service emergency center downtown. Harvey emphasized the need to diversify the tax base beyond residential property and recoup sales tax revenue committed away in a 1985 vote. Manor also adopted its first comprehensive plan, a 600-page document mapping growth for the next 30 years.
Harvey was candid about the city's late start in building basic civic infrastructure. 'Our city is 153 years old and this is the first time we're building these facilities. And so that's phase one,' he said. He also addressed tax policy, explaining that lowering the tax rate is tied to long-term economic development. '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, describing efforts to recover sales tax dollars and reinvest them into roads, parks, and drainage.
The episode explored how Manor is integrating workforce development 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 superintendent to share demographic data, coordinate employer recruitment, and connect new companies to college, career, and military pathways for students. McKenzie drew parallels to other Texas cities, noting that Garland is the largest city in the country without a hospital and that Bastrop faces similar healthcare gaps, framing Manor's 50-bed hospital ambitions as part of a statewide reckoning with suburban growth, public safety, and public health.
The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, travels the state to spotlight mayors, builders, employers, and civic leaders shaping Texas communities. Each episode digs into growth, policy, housing, and economic development. The show is sponsored by Chisos Boots. This episode with Manor Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
