McLendon-Chisholm seeks residents for economic development, finance boards

McLendon-Chisholm is asking residents to step into two volunteer posts that help shape how the city grows and how closely its finances are reviewed. The city’s homepage is advertising openings on the Economic Development Committee and the Finance & Audit Advisory Board, giving residents a direct way to weigh in on land use, budgeting, and long-range planning without running for office.

Those boards carry more than ceremonial weight. The city’s application materials say boards and commissions play a very important role in the development of the city and require members to attend meetings to conduct business. That matters in McLendon-Chisholm, where new households and development pressure have made choices about growth more immediate and more visible.

The Economic Development Committee is one place where residents can influence what kinds of businesses and projects the city welcomes, and how those additions fit with neighborhood character. The Finance & Audit Advisory Board gives residents a hand in fiscal oversight, a signal that city leaders want public scrutiny as budgets and spending decisions become more complex. For a small city, those boards often shape the decisions that affect daily life most directly.

The openings arrive alongside the city’s 2026 annual resident survey, part of a broader effort to gather feedback beyond election season. McLendon-Chisholm launched its first-ever resident survey in early 2025 through Decision Analyst, and the city’s survey results page says that effort was meant to support future assessments tied to the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

That planning framework is already in place. McLendon-Chisholm adopted its 2021-2040 Comprehensive Plan on September 29, 2021, drawing on a 2016 plan, an online community survey and an in-person community forum. City materials describe the plan as a guide for future development and redevelopment, which is central in a community that was estimated at about 6,500 residents in the 2025 survey summary and 6,800 in the Texas Municipal League directory.

The city’s public notices page also shows how active those planning issues are. In 2026, notices included hearings on a proposed parkland dedication master plan ordinance, a zoning change near SH 205 and FM 550, and a March 31, 2026 setback variance request for a detached garage. The council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m., where those kinds of land-use decisions are part of the regular workload.

McLendon-Chisholm, incorporated in 1969, has also been through recent leadership changes. Newly elected officials took office at the May 14, 2024 council meeting, and Council Member Mike Hermansen is listed as serving in Place 4 beginning in May 2026. With more growth on the table, the city is making clear that resident service on boards is one of the few ways ordinary people can help steer what comes next.