Lexington Creek Third-Graders Host Missouri City Mayor

Third-grade students at Lexington Creek Elementary School got a first-hand account of how city government works with a special presentation from Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen.

Owen spoke to a the assembly of third-graders Wednesday morning in the school auditorium, addressing such topics as city operations, how city council works, the duties of the mayor and how a city gets its money.

The special program was coordinated by third-grade teacher Bonny Cole. Lexington Creek Principal Lucretia DeFlora introduced Owen to the students.

Owen told the students that he and the city council make every effort to meet the needs of Missouri City and its residents.

“We have a big responsibility to everyone who lives here but, unfortunately, we can’t please everyone,” Owen said.

Owen also explained that the mayor and city council have roles similar to those of a board chair and board of directors in a corporation, while the city manager is much like the company president.

“The city manager takes care of the day-to-day operations; we set the policy for the city,” Owen said.

Owen also responded to a wide variety of questions from students, ranging from whether he gets to travel a lot to what his wife thinks about his job as mayor.

The mayor also told the third-graders that Missouri City’s diversity, much like that in Lexington Creek’s student body, is what makes it strong.

“The thing I’m most proud of in our community is our diversity,” Owen said. “That’s what makes Missouri City special.”

More than 100 students took part in the assembly.