Awards

Municipal Clerks Office of Achievement Award

The Texas Municipal Clerks Association (TMCA) offers a Municipal Clerk’s Office Achievement of Excellence Award to recognize outstanding management and service in municipal clerk offices. This biennial award aims to promote the profession, recognize community engagement, and acknowledge efficient resource management and regulatory compliance.

To qualify for the award, a municipal clerk’s office must meet the criteria in at least 9 of 12 standards, which include records management, professional development, government transparency, elections administration, public information compliance, open meetings compliance, boards and commissions support, office policies and procedures, additional municipal responsibilities, innovative projects, and employee training programs. The award emphasizes both operational excellence and engagement with citizens, elected officials, and staff.

Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors Government Programming Awards

TATOA, Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors – the Texas chapter of NATOA, is a professional network consisting of individuals and government organizations dedicated to supporting citizens through their involvement in the development, regulation, and management of cable television, programming, and various telecommunications systems.

National Government Programming Awards

The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) is a leading trade organization that represents local government interests in communications policy. It serves as a key advisor to Congress and the FCC on local government perspectives and public interest matters. NATOA leverages collective resources from its members to influence telecommunications policy, collaborating with other municipal organizations like the National League of Cities and US Conference of Mayors. The organization also runs the largest competition of its kind, recognizing excellence in various types of programming produced by local governments, including documentaries, public affairs, sports coverage, and children’s programming.

Scenic City – Gold Scenic Texas 2024-2029

The City of Pharr was honored with the prestigious Gold Scenic City Certification by Scenic Texas. This award recognizes Pharr’s commitment to high-quality municipal standards and long-term planning efforts.
Pharr’s Gold certification highlights the city’s initiatives in urban forestry, scenic roads, green space, and historic preservation. By upgrading from their previous Silver certification, the city demonstrates its continuous dedication to enhancing its visual infrastructure and promoting beauty and sustainability in public spaces.
This recognition underscores Pharr’s efforts to build a thriving, scenic community that prioritizes the well-being and aesthetic enjoyment of its residents.

TML- Public Safety Category (She’s My Hero)

She’s My Hero program, run by female firefighters from the Pharr Fire Department, aims to boost the number of female firefighters. It offers real-world experience, inspiring pre-teen and teenage girls to consider firefighting as a career. This immersive experience fosters empowerment, confidence, and encourages certification and careers in firefighting.

Certified All Fiber Provider

The City of Pharr received an award from the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) in 2023. The FBA is North America’s premier trade organization for fiber optic broadband, offering respected certification programs that cover fiber technology basics, network design, installation, and maintenance for telecommunications professionals. These certifications are valued in the industry because the FBA represents major telecom companies, equipment manufacturers, and municipal providers, giving it significant authority in the field. As government broadband investment grows and demand for high-speed internet increases, FBA certifications offer strong career advancement opportunities in the expanding fiber broadband sector.

Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Accredited means that the Pharr Memorial Library has met all library standards from the Texas State library and Archives Commission. Makes the library a fully qualified member of the state library system.

Family Place Libraries

A certification that identifies the Pharr Memorial Library as a community center for early literacy, parent education, and family support. This certification includes more than 500 sites in 32 states.

Excellence in Libraries Award

Award from from the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association for library excellence 2022.

Certificate of Recognition from Alliance for Performance Excellence

A Certificate of Recognition from the Alliance for Performance Excellence (or a member program) signifies an organization’s achievement in performance excellence, often as a stepping stone to the national Baldrige Award. It indicates that the organization has demonstrated a high level of performance and is well on its way to achieving excellence.

Tree City USA

The City of Pharr has been recognized as a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation for the eight consecutive year, acknowledging our ongoing commitment to effective urban forest management. This national program honors cities that uphold four core standards: maintaining a tree board or department, having a tree care ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and holding an annual Arbor Day celebration. Through this designation, Pharr demonstrates its dedication to growing a healthier, greener city for future generations.

Texas CrimeStoppers Productivity Award – Greatest Dollar Recovery Population 75K-100K

The Pharr Crimestoppers received the Productivity Award for recovering the greatest dollar amount in cities with populations of 75,001 to 100,000. This award, administered by the Texas Governor’s Office through the Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council, recognizes effectiveness in crime-fighting efforts based on quarterly statistical reports.

UNIDAD Special Recognition Award-Mental Health Unit

The Productivity Awards are given in two categories – most cases cleared and greatest dollar recovery (combining narcotics seized and stolen property recovered) – and are divided by population categories for fair comparison. Texas Crime Stoppers organizations are community partnerships between citizens, law enforcement, and media that work together to reduce crime and secure arrests and convictions. The awards are presented annually at the Texas Crime Stoppers conference, highlighting Pharr Crimestoppers’ exceptional performance in facilitating property recovery and narcotics seizures within their community size category.

BUSINESS FACILTIES 2025 EDO AWARD WINNER SMALL EDO CATEGORY (POPULATION 100K OR LESS) for the PHARR GLOBAL BUSINESS HUB

The Pharr Economic Development Corporation received a Small EDO Award from Business Facilities magazine for developing the Pharr Global Business Hub. This award recognizes economic development efforts in communities with populations of 100,000 or less. The achievement was featured in Business Facilities’ May/June 2025 issue, giving the Pharr Global Business Hub additional visibility in their specialized publication focused on site selection and economic development trends.

Native Plant Society of Texas-Native Landscape Certification (Level 1)

The Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) is a Texas statewide educational initiative offering day-long classes on native plant landscaping and wildlife habitat gardening. Classes combine classroom instruction with hands-on plant identification, covering 45 recommended native Texas plants and 5 non-native species to avoid, all tailored to the specific local ecoregion.

The program serves homeowners, landscape professionals, nursery staff, park employees, Texas Master Naturalists and Gardeners, and educators, with participants able to earn continuing education credits from organizations like TNLA, ASLA, TMG, and TMN. The NLCP aims to help communities create a sense of place, attract beneficial wildlife, conserve water and natural resources, and protect the environment through regionally-focused classes that address each area’s unique ecosystem and landscaping requirements.

Governor’s Community Achievement Award – Sustained Excellence Award 2022-2023

This Texas state recognition honors communities that demonstrate exceptional environmental stewardship and beautification efforts. The award acknowledges cities and towns that excel across multiple areas including environmental leadership, community coordination, public education, beautification initiatives, litter prevention, solid waste management, and litter law enforcement. It’s jointly issued by Keep Texas Beautiful and the Texas Department of Transportation to celebrate sustained community excellence in maintaining and improving local environmental quality.

2025 Healthier Texas Medium Size Category Winner

Healthier Texas is a statewide nonprofit that serves as a collaborative platform bringing together diverse partners—healthcare providers, community organizations, businesses, and government entities—to address health challenges across Texas. The organization focuses on health equity and works to ensure all Texans have access to resources needed for optimal health outcomes, addressing both immediate needs and long-term systemic change. The City of Pharr has been recognized by Healthier Texas for five consecutive years, demonstrating sustained commitment to community health initiatives and serving as a model for other Texas municipalities in implementing effective health-promoting policies and programs.