Rockwall Voices Op-Ed
Happy New Year!
We are blessed to live in an extraordinary city, and I am honored to serve you as Mayor. Our steadfast commitment to a conservative approach to city governance has been the cornerstone of our success. By focusing on fiscal responsibility, limited government, and empowering local decision-making, we have built a foundation that ensures prosperity and opportunity for generations to come.
I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate a few key accomplishments of our exceptional city team and city council. Together, we remain committed to delivering results that uphold our shared conservative values.
Local Decision- Making
Local governance by the consent of the people is the backbone of Texas. It empowers citizens to innovate, act swiftly, and preserve our freedoms. As your mayor, I’ve championed policies in Austin that respect your voice and resist efforts to centralize power.
Lowest City Tax Rate
We proudly maintained one of the lowest city tax rates in North Texas. This achievement is the lowest rate our city has seen in over a decade. This reflects our unwavering commitment to conservative fiscal responsibility and putting our residents first.
Additionally, we took a significant step in supporting our senior community by increasing the over-65 tax homestead exemption to $50,000, ensuring greater financial security for those who deserve to live out their lives in dignity with a sense of financial security. have contributed so much to our city.
Robust Economic Development
Since 2021, we have opened over 38 new businesses and created over $2.8M in new sales, which clearly shows our economic development strategy is thriving. These results demonstrate the power of conservative leadership in fostering an environment where businesses can succeed, and families can flourish.
Safeguarding Our Community – Fate DPS
Our Fate DPS team is extraordinary. We’re proud to maintain our status as the 6th safest community in Texas — a distinction that reflects the collective efforts of our DPS team, citizens, businesses and local government.
2025 – A Year of Significant Challenges
Keep Local Decision-making Local
As your Mayor, I promise to steadfastly protect our right to self-govern, standing firm against overreach by Washington or Austin, prioritizing local decision-making, and ensuring Fate remains a beacon of freedom and opportunity.
Supporting Our Local Heroes – Fate DPS Team
Fully funding and backing our dedicated police and firefighters remains one of my top priorities, including competitive pay and benefits, certification pay to encourage professional growth, and new technology to keep our community safe. Their unwavering commitment to protecting our community deserves our full investment and gratitude.
Strengthening Public Safety Infrastructure
Completing the new Fate police station, remodeling the downtown DPS station, and establishing a sub-station in southern Fate are critical steps toward achieving sustainable and effective public safety operations. These initiatives reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of every resident in our community.
Planning for Long-Term Economic Stability
To offset the anticipated slowdown in housing permits and fees, we aim to increase our annual sales tax revenue from $3.8 million to over $5.5M by 2027. The city’s proactive five-year plan ensures we maintain a low city property tax rate while safeguarding our community’s financial future. Our commitment to fiscal responsibility and forward-thinking leadership will guide us
toward sustained growth and stability.
Continue to Re-vitalize Downtown Fate
The revitalization effort, including Food Haul, remains a priority in creating a vibrant community hub. Sauce and Vine is on-track to open in the first half of 2025, adding an elevated dining experience to our growing downtown.
Faith, Family, and Friends
We have a shared commitment to faith, community, and a spirit of Texas exceptionalism that drives us to improve every day. Together, we strive to make Fate an outstanding place to live, work, learn, and play—a city we are all proud to call home.
May God bless our great city and each of your families. May the New Year bring you and your
loved one’s abundant joy, love, and happiness.
In Service,
Mayor David Billings
For Fate & Freedom
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of The Rockwall Times. We encourage a respectful exchange of perspectives to enrich our community dialogue.
