Trash, Recycling Schedule Changes for Fourth of July Holiday
For the Fourth of July holiday, City services and facilities will operate according to the following holiday schedule.

TRASH / RECYCLING / BRUSH AND BULKY ITEM COLLECTION (BABIC) 
There will be NO solid waste, Brush and Bulky Item Collection (BABIC) or recycling service provided Friday, July 3. There will be NO make-up day for trash collection or BABIC.

The table below shows the make-up days for recycling service.

Municipal Facility Closures for Fourth of July Holiday

Visit www.cor.net/HolidaySchedule for the holiday facility and solid waste schedule. For information on delays to the solid waste schedule, visit www.cor.net/ServiceDelays.

Fire Department Celebrates 100 Years of Service Tomorrow
The Richardson Fire Department is celebrating its 100th anniversary by hosting a community event Saturday, June 27 at Fire Headquarters/Station 1 starting at 10 a.m. The event will recognize a century of service dating back to April 9, 1926, when Richardson established its first fire department with 20 volunteers, a used pickup truck and donated equipment. Celebration attendees can listen to remarks from speakers, view historic firefighting artifacts, take a station tour and “touch-a-truck.”   

Details:
Fire Department 100th Anniversary
When: Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m. 
Where: Richardson Fire HQ – Station 1, 300 N. Greenville Ave. 

Changes Planned for 2027 Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival 
The City Council has directed staff to move forward with changes to the Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival beginning in 2027, following a presentation at Monday’s Council meeting that outlined how operating costs continue to outpace revenue, requiring a sizable subsidy from the City to hold the event. The new model would create a more sustainable financial structure while also reducing overtime, lessening impacts on nearby businesses and property owners, and improving cost recovery efforts.  

Changes include:  

The changes follow months of review, including survey feedback, an economic impact study, benchmark festival research, 2026 attendance data, vendor feedback and a detailed review of event operating costs.  

While the recommended changes would reduce the event’s scale, signature elements such as national headliners, indoor programming at the Eisemann Center, Marketplace, Battle of the Bands, Budding Talent and other key attractions would remain part of the festival.  

The Wildflower discussion is one of a series of planning conversations that help shape the City’s next budget before it is formally proposed later this summer. Richardson’s 2026 City Council calendar includes an Aug. 3-4 budget workshop where residents can provide input and feedback as the budget is being developed. The City will continue through the annual public hearing and budget adoption process in September before the fiscal year begins Oct. 1.  

Monday’s presentation: Video 

More information: Full press release 

Richardson Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Keelung City, Taiwan 
The City of Richardson hosted a signing ceremony this week at City Hall to establish a Friendship City relationship with Keelung City, Taiwan.  

Richardson Mayor Amir Omar and Keelung City Mayor Kuo-Liang Hsieh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) creating a framework for cooperation between the two municipalities. The agreement is intended to promote friendship and mutual benefit through educational, cultural, arts and economic exchange.  

The MOU identifies several areas of potential cooperation, including youth exchange programs and networking opportunities to promote business partnerships and economic development.  

This is the second Friendship City relationship established through an MOU in the past year for Richardson; the City also has an MOU with New Taipei City, Taiwan.  

Video: Click here to Watch Video 

Some Online City Services Unavailable Tomorrow 
Several online payment and reporting services for Water Customer Service, Accounts Receivable and Building Inspections will be unavailable Saturday, June 27 from 6 a.m.-noon. The temporary service interruption will also impact the MyRichardson mobile app. For those looking to submit a concern or BABIC request through the MyRichardson mobile application should instead call the 24-hour response center during this time.  

The outages will occur as the City’s Information Technology Department undergoes Part 2 of software updates; Part 1 of the updates took place last Saturday.   

24-hour Response Center: 972-744-4111  

Council Reviews Parks Maintenance Strategies 
“Deep dive” briefings for the City Council’s annual budget preparation continued this week with a detailed Parks Maintenance update given during Monday’s Council meeting. The update provided an overview of operations, infrastructure, recent projects, planned initiatives and budget needs.  

The Parks Maintenance Division’s 49 employees oversee an extensive network of community assets, including 42 parks, 510 acres of medians and rights-of-way, 93 miles of trails, 31 playgrounds, 27 bridges, 230 acres of sports fields, 13 ponds and water features and 28 restrooms. The team also manages wildflower planting, street sweeping, street banner installation and support for City events.  

Staff highlighted several major projects completed or underway this year, including the recommissioning of the Galatyn Plaza Fountain and landscape renovations along Yale and Waterview medians. Preliminary plans for FY 2026-27 include trail improvements, replacement of fencing at Heights Park Tennis Court and installation of a new fountain at Duck Creek Linear Park.  

The City Council’s FY 2026-27 Budget Workshop is scheduled for Aug. 3-4; see below for more budget-related presentations given Monday.  

Parks Maintenance Strategies presentation: Video 

Water and Sewer Rate Discussion Continues 
At Monday’s City Council meeting, City staff revisited the comprehensive review of the City’s water and sewer rates given at the June 8 meeting and gave a closer look at the recommended rate adjustment scenario. The review is part of preparations for the Council’s annual budget workshop and new budget adoption; a rate increase is needed to maintain minimum fund balance requirements in the Water and Sewer Fund.  

The City-recommended “Scenario 3” adjusts base fees depending on meter size (as is the common practice in most cities), encourages water conservation and provides a senior discount to the base fee. The average residential user would see a 7.9-8.3 percent increase in rates per year over the next three years, and seniors’ base charge would remain frozen at $8 for water and wastewater (for ¾” and 1” meters), with their volume rate adjustments remaining consistent with regular residential rates.  

After receiving City Council feedback, staff will incorporate Scenario 3 in the preliminary budget in advance of the Council’s August budget workshop.  

Water and Sewer Rate presentation: Video 

North Texas Municipal Water District Gives Annual Report to Council
The City Council received an overview of services provided by the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) during Monday’s meeting and an update on NTMWD’s capital outlook and long-term financial planning. The presentation was part of the City’s annual budget preparation process.  

NTMWD, Richardson’s water supplier, serves a rapidly growing, 2,200-square-mile region that currently includes 2.4 million residents. District staff project an additional 3.7 million people will be added to the region by 2050, making it one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation.  

Currently, NTMWD has 134 capital projects underway. Of those, 66 percent address growth and peak-flow capacity, 28 percent focus on maintaining infrastructure and 6 percent are related to regulatory requirements. Several projects are located in or near Richardson, including storage tank construction, lift station upgrades and pump station filtration improvements.  

NTMWD presentation: Video 

No City Council Meetings, Work Sessions Next Two Weeks 
Due to summer break and the Independence Day holiday, there will be no City Council meeting or work session Monday, June 29 and Monday, July 6. The Council will next meet Monday, July 13 beginning at 6 p.m.  

City Council calendar: www.cor.net/CityCouncil  

Richardson’s Family 4th Next Saturday 
Make plans to spend the evening of July 4 at Breckinridge Park, where Richardson’s annual Fourth of July celebration will dazzle with a spectacular fireworks show, music from the Richardson Community Band, concessions and kids’ activities.   

Attendees are encouraged to bring picnics, blankets and/or lawn chairs and enjoy the evening under the stars!   

Off-site parking and free shuttle service will be available to the park from 6-8:45 p.m. at 3001 and 3101 President George Bush Turnpike. To ensure we have the ability to transport the maximum number of people per bus, we encourage you to minimize the amount of additional items you bring with you to the park.  

Complete schedule/more information: www.cor.net/Family4th  

July Richardson Today in Mailboxes Next Week
The July 2026 print edition of Richardson Today is expected to hit mailboxes next week, just in time for the July 4th holiday. It includes a front-page schedule and map for Richardson’s “Family 4th” event; a historical timeline of milestones for the Richardson Fire Department; a full page of information about e-bikes, scooters and pocket bikes; and the 2026 Traffic Signal Box Art Contest winning designs.  

Richardson Today is mailed to every residence in the city. Ask your local mail carrier if you do not receive your copy and you live within the boundaries of Richardson.   

Keep up with Richardson Today as soon as it’s available by signing up online to receive a digital copy by e-mail at the start of each month. You’ll still receive the printed version at home, but now you can enjoy quick and easy access on your phone, tablet or computer. Visit www.cor.net/SignUp and choose “Richardson Today” to sign up.  

• DRAIN standing water 

• Use insect repellent containing DEET 

• Avoid being outdoors at DUSK/DAWN 

• DRESS to protect yourself with long sleeves and pants