Business View Civil and Municipal | May 2021

131 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL MAY 2021 G etting into a city on the ground floor can have exciting prospects for dedicated and patient people, it can also have definite rewards and a great return on your investment. The City of Balch Springs, Texas is a sea of opportunity just waiting for people and companies to jump in and explore everything it has to offer – while watching and helping it continue to evolve and prosper. Although small, Balch Springs is anything but sleepy. This city of 26,000 is growing at a quick pace, with people migrating from all over the United States who are slowly discovering the benefits of living in suburban Texas. Benefits that include marginal cost of living increases, low home costs, low property tax, and the fact that Texas has no state tax. The rewards for people who consider moving to Balch Springs, and companies who locate there, are endless. What’s not to love about easy access to interstates, close proximity to Dallas for the big city vibe, and the sheer joy of getting outside and strolling, jogging, hiking, or biking on some of the town’s many trails and walking paths. For the past eight years, Balch Springs City Manager, Susan Cluse, has advocated for and guided the city council through a strategic community growth plan and much of her work is coming to fruition with projects springing up all throughout the nine square mile city. She declares, “Balch Springs is a residential community, a really small town. It has farms. There are people who have been here for years and many who are new and loving it. We have a lot of growth, but we’re monitoring that growth to make sure we grow wisely and sustainably. People are starting to take notice of Balch Springs and that is great!” Balch Springs is in the inner-ring suburbs of Dallas and is part of the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex. In 2010 the city’s population was just BALCH SPR “GROWING A COMMUNIT Y ”