City Hall

Abilene City Hall is located at 555 Walnut Street in Abilene. The building has three floors containing the offices for various divisions. Visitors can find the Employment Office, Risk Management, and the Development Services Center on the first floor. City Council Chamber, Administration, Office of Neighborhood Services, and the Cashiers are on the second floor.

Municipal Court (where tickets are paid) may only be entered through exterior doors located on the northeast corner of the building, which is the side opposite Walnut street. (Water Billing is not in City Hall anymore, and is now at 534 Cypress street.) City Hall is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Mission

We work together to build a community of the highest quality for present and future generations. Our core values include Team Spirit, Responsiveness, Continuous Improvement, Integrity, and Individual Worth.

City of Abilene Organization

City Charter Facts

The people of Abilene are dedicated to the principle of local self-government, under law, as interpreted by the light of reason, and have established a municipal government capable of efficiently translating the wishes of the voters into effective administration as promptly and economically as possible. The first Abilene Charter went into effect in 1911.

Abilene is a home rule city. It has all powers granted to home rule cities by the constitution and laws of Texas. The municipal government provided by the City Charter is known as "Council-Manager Government." All powers of the City are vested in an elected City Council, which enacts legislation, adopts budgets, and determines policies.

The City Council consists of six Council members and a Mayor, all of whom are elected at large. Each Council member serves for a term of three years. Terms for the City Council are on a three year staggered basis such that two Council members are elected each year. The Mayor and each Council member receive a salary of one dollar per year for each year he or she serves as Mayor or Council member.

The Mayor appoints the City Manager, the City Secretary, the City Attorney, and the Judge of Municipal Court with the approval of the Council.

The City Manager is the chief administrative officer of the City who executes the laws and administers the government of the City. The City's fiscal year begins on October 1 each year, and ends on the following September 30.

Organization

The City of Abilene is organized into eleven departments: Administrative Services, Aviation, Community Services, Economic Development, Finance, Fire, General Government, Planning and Development Services, Police, Public Works, and Water. Each department has one or more subordinate divisions.

About Abilene

Welcome! No matter where you're coming from, you'll find a little bit of everything in Abilene, and much of it with a special West Texas twist.

The City of Abilene, Texas, is located approximately 180 miles due west of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We’re situated in west central Texas near the geographic center of the state, Situated adjacent to Interstate 20, Abilene is the center of a 22-county area commonly referred to as the Texas Midwest or the Big Country. Abilene serves as the county seat for Taylor County, one of 254 counties in Texas. Taylor County has a current population of about 120,000, 115,930 of which live within the Abilene city limits.

View the Abilene Demographic Profile

Described as "the Future Great City of West Texas," Abilene was established in March 1881 upon the completion of the Texas & Pacific Railroad. Click here to read more about Abilene's colorful history.

Abilene 's civic progressiveness and its logistic function as a regional center for distribution, commerce, industry, transportation, and education provide an assortment of lodging, dining, cultural, and shopping opportunities typically found only in much larger cities.

Carrying On Our Western Heritage

With a history of cattle, railroads and oil, the City of Abilene retains a strong western legacy with a distinctive family atmosphere. Abilene‘s pride in this is showcased each May at the Western Heritage Classic, a three-day weekend event focusing on the western lifestyle and values of the working ranch. The highlight of the weekend, the Ranch Rodeo, features 11 historic ranches. Other events include a Downtown parade, the Ranch Horse Association of America (RHAA) Working Ranch Horse National Finals, the "World’s Largest Bit & Spur Show," a chuck wagon cook-off, cowboy poetry and music, matched horse races, a western art show, children’s events and other entertainment. For more information, phone 325-677-4376 or go online to www.westernheritageclassic.com.

Abilene continues its cowboy heritage by hosting numerous cutting horse and other western equestrian events held at the Taylor County Expo Center.

The West Texas Fair and Rodeo is held for ten days each September and features food, rides, exhibits and amusements celebrating West Texas. The remains of Fort Phantom Hill can be seen ten miles north of Abilene. The fort burned shortly after abandonment in 1854. The stone commissary, a guardhouse, a powder magazine, and numerous chimneys and foundations remain.

Historic Downtown Abilene

The downtown area is undergoing a renaissance with the steady growth of cultural, shopping, and dining attractions centered around historic Cypress Street, stretching from the Abilene Civic Center to the restored T&P Railroad Depot and the new Frontier Texas! venue, which houses a Visitor Information Center. Trolley buses provide free transportation to the downtown. Click here to take a virtual walking tour of downtown.

The Paramount Theater on Cypress Street is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This fully restored art deco movie theater features a ceiling with slow drifting clouds and twinkling stars on a blue sky, numerous archways, and a bell tower with twin domed turrets. The theater shows classic films on weekends and hosts art films, plays, and concerts throughout the year.

Two blocks down the street from the Paramount, and also on the National Register of Historic Places, is the Grace Cultural Center, a beautifully restored 1909 hotel. the Grace houses a history Museum, an art Museum and an interactive children’s Museum, as well as a permanent collection. Throughout the year, The Grace hosts special exhibits, classes, seminars, weddings and other special events.

The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) is housed in the restored Rhodes Auto Building at North 1st and Cedar Streets. The only one of its kind in the nation, the center features art exhibits from children's books. The NCCIL promotes educational programming by conducting docent-led school tours of featured exhibits.

In the area of the performing arts, Abilene has the variety you'd expect to see only in larger cities, including an opera company, a philharmonic orchestra, two community theater troupes, three university theaters, professional touring shows, and several dance studios.

For recreational pursuits, the city also offers 26 spacious parks. The largest is Nelson Park, located across from the West Texas Fair Grounds. The park features a lake, playgrounds, a duck pond, a festival garden (make reservations through Community Services – 325-676-6218), and is home to the Abilene Zoo.

Discover the wonderful world of wildlife at the Abilene Zoo! Home to over 600 animals from around the globe, a visit to the Abilene Zoo is filled with fun and excitement for the entire family. Check out the King Cobra and the Creepy Crawler Center, come eye to eye with giraffes on the giraffe bridge and stroll through Elm Creek Backyard, home to dozens of Texas Species.

Hop aboard the Safari Express zoo train, treat yourself to a hot dog and a beverage at the Watering Hole and select a souvenir of your visit at the zoo store. Become a member and enjoy a year of free zoo admission. Take part in one of our many educational classes or programs. There's always something new to see and do at the Abilene Zoo!

 

Discover the wonderful world of wildlife at the Abilene Zoo! Home to over 600 animals from around the globe, a visit to the Abilene Zoo is filled with fun and excitement for the entire family. Check out the King Cobra at the Creepy Crawler Center, come eye to eye with giraffes on the giraffe bridge, and stroll through Elm Creek Backyard, home to dozens of Texas species.

You can treat yourself to a hot dog and a beverage at the Watering Hole and select a souvenir of your visit at the zoo store. Become a member and enjoy a year of free zoo admission. Take part in one of our many educational classes or programs. There’s always something new to see and do at the Abilene Zoo!