Recently we at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce had the opportunity, together with the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas Association of Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to welcome U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to Waco for a panel discussion on the USMCA — the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Ratification of this newly renegotiated trade…

What a strong year 2018 was for Waco! In December, we celebrated 81 months of consecutive economic growth; hotel-motel spending was up 15 percent from 2017 (and we had the highest hotel occupancy rate in the state!); sales-tax collections were up 2.5 percent in year-to-date spending; and unemployment dropped to a record 3.2 percent. Not…

Few are the people who take delight in paying property taxes. Yet when we understand where our dollars go and have confidence they are being spent wisely on services and infrastructure of benefit to us all, the sting is lessened and, in fact, we may appreciate the quality of life and services they provide. Nevertheless,…