Town Yearly Awards - 2016

No.1 "Safest Cities in Texas"


ValuePenguin, a personal finance research and analysis website, recently named Flower Mound the No. 1 Safest City in Texas for municipalities with a population larger than 50,000, and the No. 12. Safest City overall. ValuePenguin used the most recent FBI Crime Report to determine how safe Texas cities are relative to each other.  ValuePenguin wrote, “Eight of the top ten safest large cities in 2016 were repeats from 2015. Flower Mound, a community of over 69,000 in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, was the safest large city in both years.”  Flower Mound reported 49 violent crimes in 2014, and 923 property crimes. Using these two figures, ValuePenguin weighted violent crime at 80 percent, and property crime at 20 percent (though property crime is more prevalent, violent crime is more concerning to citizens) an aggregated “crime score” is determined.  “Crime scores” of the 217 cities surveyed range from 321 to 7,175. Flower Mound’s “crime score” was 542.

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​No.1 "Happiest Place in Texas"


According to Zippia, a career advancement website, Flower Mound is ranked No. 11 as the “Happiest Place in Texas” and No. 1 for communities with a population over 50,000. Using data from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey, Zippia looked for several factors to determine happiness levels, including: being well-educated, having a job, short work commute, low cost of living, having a family, owning a home, and the poverty rate. Zippia determined 86 percent of Flower Mound residents own their home, and more than 65 percent of them are married.


No.5 "Best Cities for Texas Families"


Texas is one of the largest states in the country, both in terms of square mileage and population, and for those looking to settle down in the right spot, look no further than Flower Mound. The Town of Flower Mound was ranked No. 5 on the “Best Cities for Texas Families” list, by WalletHub. WalletHub, a website that provides financial tools and information for consumers, had analysts compare 112 of the largest Texas cities based on 21 relevant factors that speak to the sustainability for families. This includes measures such as playgrounds per capita, the divorce rate, and violent crime statistics. 



No.6 "Most Hard Working Community in Texas"


According to Zippia, a career assistance website, Flower Mound is the sixth-most hard working community in Texas. Zippia staff analyzed several factors, including average hours worked, average commute time, workers per household (employed labor force divided by the number households), labor force participation rate, and adults with a college degree.


No. 38 "Best Small Cities and Towns in America"


In a recent study by financial advising site WalletHub, Flower Mound was named No. 38 on a list of the “50 Best Small Cities and Towns in America”. WalletHub analyzed 1,268 small U.S. cities and towns with populations of 25,000 to 100,000, and compared them based on 30 livability factors, including economic health, education, safety, and affordability. With a total weighted “rank” of 65.54, Flower Mound topped other North Texas communities like Rockwall (No.45) and Coppell (No.43). No. 1 on the “50 Best Cities and Towns in America” was awarded to Westfield, Indiana, who received a ranking of 69.93. View the full list.



Economic Development Excellence 


The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) has awarded the Town of Flower Mound the Certificate of Achievement for Economic Excellence for 2015. This award recognizes a commitment to exemplary professional economic development by Town administration and elected and appointed officials. The Town of Flower Mound is one of only 34 economic development organizations in the State that were recognized with this honor. TEDC is the nation’s largest state professional association of economic development professionals, volunteers, and elected officials serving more than 500 public and private economic development organizations in more 350 cities across Texas. The Economic Excellence Recognition Program, through which this certificate was awarded, acknowledges economic development organizations that maintain the highest levels of skilled professionalism in their work to promote a sustainable and healthy local economy. 


Government Finance Officers Association


The Town of Flower Mound was recently awarded the Government Finance Officers Association's (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. This is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting, and the Town is pleased to make 2016 the 24th consecutive year this honor has been awarded to Flower Mound. In order to receive this accolade strict national guidelines in budget presentation must be met, and a proficient score in the categories of policy document, financial planning, operations guide, and communications device is required. 

Continuing a long-standing tradition of financial integrity, the Town of Flower Mound was recently awarded its 30th consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. The prestigious GFOA Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. Providing detailed information concerning the financial condition of the Town, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) is published for Town Council, residents, potential investors, and other interested persons. View the latest CAFR here.


Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors


The Town of Flower Mound Communications Department recently received 13 awards, including seven first-place awards, at the Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (TATOA) annual conference. Flower Mound was the most-awarded municipality of the state conference, and set a new record for the most TATOA awards staff has received in a single year. Flower Mound took home first place awards for the following video projects:
  • Magazine Format Series – “Town Matters” Monthly News Show 
  • Public Service Announcement – “Smoke Detector Fairy”
  • Use of Humor – “Not All Criminals Are This Stupid”
  • Public Health/Public Safety – “Choices Matter”
  • Special Audience – “Workout Bros”
  • Partnership Production – “Ziva: Accelerant Detection Dog”
  • Documentary - “Ziva: Accelerant Detection Dog”
In addition, the Town also received four second place awards, and two third place awards for additional video projects.
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Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers


Flower Mound is proud to announce the Community Affairs Division won five first place awards and one third place award at the 2016 Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO) annual conference. This is the most first place awards the Town has ever received at TAMIO, being recognized with top honors for the following projects/videos:
Flower Mound was also recognized with a third place award for “Best Use of Social Media” for overall excellence, while highlighting the Town’s spring 2015 flooding communication and the Veterans Day Relay Run coverage. An affiliate of the Texas Municipal League, TAMIO is the primary organization devoted to public information, communication, and marketing professionals in municipal government.


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​City-County Communications and Marketing Association


The Town of Flower Mound Communications Department is proud to announce staff received their first, first place national award for creative marketing and communications at the recent City-County Communications and Marketing Association national conference in San Antonio. The Town received the first place award for its Smoke Detector Fairy video, which encourages everyone to change their smoke detector batteries in correlation with the seasonal time changes. Judges stated, “Great theme, idea, and production. The concept was very clever, funny, and made us laugh…Love the mic…er, wand drop at the end.” Since the video debuted on social media, it has received more than 150,000 views and has been shared more than 3,000 times, reaching 28 states and 3 countries. In addition, Flower Mound also received a second and third place national award for its internal wellness program “Workout Bros” promotional video and the “Not All Criminals are this Stupid” video.

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National Association of Telecommunicators Officers and Advisors


At the 2016 National Association of Telecommunicators Officers and Advisors annual conference in Austin, TX, Flower Mound swept the Public Service Announcement video category, winning a first place, second, and third place award in this category.
  • First place: Smoke Detector Fairy (video)
  • Second place: Bad Neighbor, The Dumper (video)
  • Third place: Not All Criminals Are This Stupid (video)
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​Texas Festival and Events Association

For the first time, the Town of Flower Mound was recognized with several awards at the Texas Festivals and Events Association’s (TFEA) annual conference, held in Corpus Christi in late July. Flower Mound Parks and Recreation took home three first-place Kaliff Marketing Awards of Excellence for Best TV Promotion (Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting Ceremony), Best Miscellaneous Clothing (Dorothy’s Dash participation shirt), and Best Event/Organization Newsletter (Adventures Guide). The Town was also awarded second-place for Best TV Promotion (Independence Fest), in addition to two third-place awards for Best TV Promotion (July Parks and Recreation Month, and Concerts in the Park).

"Best of Denton County"


Denton County residents have spoken, and Flower Mound Police Chief Andy Kancel has been named Best Police Officer in the 2016 “Best of Denton County” publication. This 11th annual “Best Of” edition asked residents to cast votes in over 200 categories to help determine the best in everything from education, to beauty and wellness, to dining, entertainment, and retail. Chief Kancel was nominated, and collected the most resident votes in the Community and Non-Profit category.  Chief Kancel has been with the Flower Mound Police Department since 2013, prior to that serving as the as Assistant Police Chief in North Richland Hills.
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Fire News Outstanding Leadership

Congratulations to Flower Mound Fire Chief Eric Greaser, recently recognized as a recipient of the 2016 Fire News Outstanding Leadership Award. Chief Greaser was nominated by his colleagues, who highlighted ways this fire veteran has gone the extra mile to make a difference in the lives of others. Chief Greaser joined FMFD in 2014, and has played a pivotal role in transforming the department both organizationally and operationally, by forging relationships within the Town and public safety teams across the region. Chief Greaser will travel to Nashville, TN later this month to accept this honor at the Firehouse Expo annual conference. 


Eric Greaser Fire Chief

No.18 "Best Cities to Raise a Child with Asthma"


Alen Corporation, an industry leader in effective air purifying solutions, recently named Flower Mound No.18 on its first annual “20 Best Cities to Raise a Child with Asthma” national list. The rankings were determined through evaluations of air quality reports, allergy rankings, humidity levels, crime rates, graduation rates, and proximity to top-rated hospitals and medical facilities. The study by Alen Corporation gave Flower Mound an air quality rating of 80.7 out of 100, and was noted for having a relatively low humidity rate throughout the year, being recognized as one of the safest cities in the U.S., and having one of the highest graduation rates in the state.

Flower Mound is one of just two Texas cities to make this list, with Allen coming in at No.19. To view the full list, please visit Alen's website.
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Texas Recreation and Parks Society


The Town of Flower Mound’s Parks and Recreation Division was recently recognized at the 2016 Texas Recreation and Parks Society (TRAPS) North Region Conference.TRAPS is a nonprofit educational, and professional organization founded over 75 years ago to advance the profession of parks, recreation, and leisure services in Texas. 2016 awards included:
  • Excellence in Programming: Special Event, Veterans Day Relay Run
  • Art & Humanities Programming Achievement: Seniors In Motion Rewrite Your Life program
  • Advocate of the Year: Seniors In Motion member/dedicated volunteer, Paul Middour
TRAPS 2016