ROCKPORT, Texas — The 89th Legislature of the State of Texas officially passed Bill TX HCR157, naming the City of Rockport the Redfish Capital of Texas. The big announcement was shared during a press conference held on Thursday, July 10, at the Key Allegro Yacht Club.
City Manager Vanessa Shrauner and City Secretary Shelley Goodwin put this bill together. They then asked Representative Todd Hunter if he could file it with the state, who Shrauner says, happily obliged. The bill was signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20.
According to Shrauner, fishing is a natural resource in Rockport, and they want to capitalize on that. She adds that the city has come so far; from not being well-known, to becoming a booming fishing town. The city wants the responsibility of preserving their natural resources, but they also want to show visitors what a fun place it is, with so many things to do.
“This is the friendliest town, we welcome people,” Shrauner said. “We want people to see how amazing we are.”
While this recognition positively impacts the city of Rockport, Shrauner hopes this gives them the opportunity to receive grants. Grants to preserve the coast, make their resources better, and to boost their tourism which helps their sales tax.
“There’s a lot of opportunities for us having a state designation that are really going to be exciting for the next 10 years,” said Shrauner.
Shrauner says the city is also ready, packed with a council that is committed to developing infrastructure to handle the tourism, and so are the businesses in the area.
“We are primed right now, to have everybody that wants to come and visit,” said Shrauner. “Come and see us, we couldn’t be happier.”
This isn’t Rockport’s first accolade. They are also known to have the first blue wave beach in the state, and pride themselves on having a pretty, clean beach. The city is also known for having festivals every other weekend.
“There’s always something to do and there is something that will pique your interest in Rockport,” Shrauner said.
The city would like to thank all the sponsors that made this possible, including Todd Hunter, Lois Kolkhorst, and Governor Greg Abbott, for signing the bill.
