Reflections of a Texas City Manager

This time of year, is reflective for me, I think it’s because it is more than just “budget season” it is planning season and reflection on what we are accomplishing and how much more we have to do! I’m speaking from the heart — not just as Coleman’s City Manager, but as one of many CM’s serving small rural communities across Texas. I know these leaders, their teams, their struggles, their passions, and their deep commitment to the places we call home. What I’m sharing I hope reflects not only my own experience, but the shared reality we all live every day.

Thank you for giving a voice to our stories — for helping others understand who small rural Texas cities really are and for advocating for the importance of small cities in Texas. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

In Coleman, a day in city government is never just one thing. We manage budgets, fix water leaks, answer citizen calls, apply for grants, and navigate compliance, unfunded mandates, and infrastructure gaps — all before lunch. By afternoon, we might be walking a resident through a utility bill or coordinating emergency repairs before prepping for a City Council, EDC meeting, or other board meeting …. Yup we still have the same boards and commissions that most big cities have and their roles are just as important.

This is rural public service. It’s not segmented, siloed, or supported by layers of staff. It’s hands-on. It’s all-in.

We don’t have departments — we have people. People who serve not because the resources are abundant, but because the commitment runs deep.

In Coleman, I may begin the day mapping out long-term plans, spend the afternoon writing a grant or navigating an HR issue, and close the evening advocating for a resident or solving a crisis — but I’m not alone in that. Every department head, every staff member, shows up willing to do whatever it takes. We don’t measure our roles by titles — we measure them by impact. And in a town like ours, that means stepping up, leaning in, and carrying more than your share because this place matters to you.

Our leadership doesn’t happen behind a desk — it happens shoulder to shoulder. We are planners and compliance officers, finance analysts and community cheerleaders, first responders and frontline problem-solvers. We do it all because we have to — and because we believe rural communities deserve nothing less than excellence.

And through it all, we lead with vision, grit, and heart. The size of a city doesn’t define its potential — heart, purpose, and vision do. That’s why we believe small towns deserve big leadership.

We live our Core Values:
We are  Committed to our Citizens
We are  Organizational Pride
We will Lead by Example
We are  Excellent Customer Service
We are  Making a Difference
We are  Accountable for our actions
We will Never Settle for Less
— because We Are Coleman.

In Coleman, no one does just one job. Our planning efforts don’t come from a department — they come from people who balance utility operations, community concerns, grant writing, oversee construction, code enforcement, and emergency management… all before the end of the day and all while serving as the de facto planner.  When you're working with a team that’s lean by necessity, every new project, every emergency, every compliance requirement pulls from the same small group of people — people who are already doing more than one full-time job. We show up because this is home. We plan because we believe in what our future can be — even when we’re building that future with fewer hands.

Long-range planning doesn’t just require time — it requires resources. For rural communities, that’s where the road gets hard. We often lack the financial flexibility to hire planning consultants or technical specialists. We’re strategic thinkers with little room for error. Hiring outside expertise is often out of reach. Even with grants, administrative demands and match requirements stretch us thin. And when we do invest in partners, we must find those who understand that rural scale requires a different kind of strategy. We’re not a test case. We’re a city with complex, real-world needs — and we need collaborators, not checklists.

Culture is our most important work. Helping residents understand the “why” behind zoning. Helping staff connect their work to long-term impact. Helping Council see both legacy and future in one vote. In Coleman, we believe culture isn’t a mission statement — it’s a discipline. We live it, breathe it, and protect it — one conversation, one correction, one breakthrough at a time.

Success in a rural city like Coleman doesn’t come overnight. It comes one ordinance, one meeting, one “yes” at a time. But over the past several years, we’ve watched our city shift from a place of reaction to a place of purpose — from barely keeping up to building forward. We started with culture. We redefined what leadership looks like — and expected more of ourselves and our teams. We acknowledged that we couldn’t do everything alone, and we stopped pretending we had to. We aligned staffing, council, and community around core values. And we found the right partners — not just contractors or consultants, but collaborators who believed in our vision.

And then the progress came.

Our aging water treatment plant had long been under TCEQ violation. Through grit, planning, and perseverance, we built a new facility that earned Superior System status — a tangible sign that Coleman doesn't just survive regulatory burdens; we rise above them.  It stands today as a physical representation of what happens when we face hard truths, build the right team, and refuse to settle for less.

We replaced aging fleet and upgraded infrastructure — one line item at a time. We restructured how our Economic Development Corporations invest — linking funding to meaningful infrastructure outcomes. As a result, we've seen real growth in sales tax, property valuations, and small business confidence.

We stopped chasing grants and started aligning them. Our funding strategy now reflects real needs: water, wastewater, broadband, revitalization, flood mitigation. These efforts, paired with relationships built across state and federal agencies, turned applications into partnerships — and projects into momentum

As we celebrate Coleman’s 150th anniversary, we also prepare to dedicate District 1876 Park — the most transformative public-private partnership in our recent history.

Funded and constructed by a private foundation, the park spans multiple city blocks near downtown and includes basketball and pickleball courts, a splash pad, amphitheater, pavilion, trails, and green space. It will be formally gifted to the City upon completion — and the supporting infrastructure, coordinated by our Type A and B Boards, will ensure it thrives for generations.

District 1876 is more than a park. It’s a vote of confidence in our leadership, our people, and our future. It represents a turning point — one that tells the world Coleman is not only ready to grow, but already rising.

Why Rural Communities Are Worth It …. Small towns don’t need sympathy.

We need partners who understand that limited resources don’t mean limited potential. That strategic thinking can happen at a two-person table. That grit and greatness often live in the same place.

And in Coleman — and in small towns just like ours across Texas — we’re not just talking about resilience. We’re living it.

We’re doing the work. We’re carrying the weight. And we’re proving, every single day, that rural communities are not only capable — we are courageous, committed, and worth investing in.

Thank You,

Diana L Lopez
City Manager
City of Coleman