In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sits down with Manor Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey to discuss the rapid transformation of this 153-year-old city on Austin's eastern edge. Manor grew 225% between 2013 and 2023, and the city is now preparing for an additional 22,000 residents expected by 2030, with 14,000 housing units already in the planning pipeline. The conversation highlights the policy choices driving Manor's shift from a bedroom community to a full-service city, fueled by semiconductor manufacturing, logistics hubs, and Samsung-related suppliers in what Harvey calls the region's "Golden Triangle of Opportunity."
Harvey is candid about the city's infrastructure gaps. "Our city is 153 years old and this is the first time we're building these facilities. And so that's phase one," he tells McKenzie. Manor is constructing its first-ever city-owned library and recreation center, funded through a recent bond election. Additionally, 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. These projects represent a foundational step in providing residents with amenities that many cities take for granted.
The mayor also addresses the city's tax policy, explaining that lowering the tax rate is a long-term goal tied to 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 says. The city is working to diversify its tax base beyond residential property and recoup sales tax revenue committed away in a 1985 vote. These efforts are critical to funding roads, parks, and drainage improvements without overburdening homeowners.
Manor's first-ever comprehensive plan, a 600-page document mapping the next 30 years of growth, guides these decisions. The plan integrates workforce development with Manor ISD, which was historically the city's largest employer before logistics and semiconductor suppliers arrived. Harvey describes regular meetings between the city manager and the superintendent to share demographic data, coordinate employer recruitment, and connect new companies to college, career, and military pathways for students.
McKenzie draws parallels to other Texas communities facing similar challenges, noting that Garland is currently the largest city in the country without a hospital and that Bastrop faces comparable healthcare gaps. Manor's hospital ambitions are part of a broader statewide reckoning with suburban growth, public safety, and public health. The episode underscores the importance of proactive planning in fast-growing Texas cities, where infrastructure often lags behind population surges.
The full episode with Manor Mayor Dr. Chris Harvey is available now wherever podcasts are heard, and on YouTube. The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, travels the state to spotlight the mayors, builders, employers, and civic leaders shaping Texas communities, with sponsorship from Chisos Boots.
