Farmers Branch, Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Farmers Branch, Texas | |||
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| Nickname: The City in a Park | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Texas | ||
| County | Dallas | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Bob Phelps | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 12.0 sq mi (31.1 km²) | ||
| - Land | 12.0 sq mi (31.1 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km²) 0.8% | ||
| Elevation | 463 ft (141 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 27,508 | ||
| - Density | 2,292.4/sq mi (885.1/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Central (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Central (UTC-5) | ||
| ZIP code | 75234 | ||
| Area code(s) | 972 | ||
| FIPS code | 48-25452[1] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1335711[2] | ||
| Website: www.farmersbranch.info | |||
Farmers Branch is a city in Dallas County, Texas (USA). The city is an inner-ring suburb of Dallas and is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The population was 27,508 at the 2000 census. On May 12, 2007, voters in this Dallas suburb became the first in the nation to prohibit landlords from renting to most illegal immigrants. Enforcement of that ban is currently on hold pending the outcome of its legal battle.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.1 km² (12 sq mi). 31.1 km² (12 sq mi) of it is land and 0.08% is water.[3]
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 27,508 people, 9,766 households, and 6,933 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,291.9 people per square mile (885.1/km²). There were 10,115 housing units at an average density of 842.8/sq mi (325.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.38% White, 2.40% African American, 0.55% Native American, 2.92% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 13.01% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.23% of the population.
There were 9,766 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,734, and the median income for a family was $57,531. Males had a median income of $34,791 versus $27,372 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,921. About 4.0% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] About
The city is home to a large number of corporations that have attained frontage along Interstate 635, the Dallas North Tollway, and Interstate 35E. Its Dallas North Tollway segment is part of the Platinum Corridor and its land along Interstate 635 is an extension of the lengthy Irving Prairie office park.
[edit] Farmers Branch in the news
[edit] Unique Performance
In November 2007, the Farmers Branch Police Department conducted a series of police raids on Unique Performance properties. Unique Performance was a company in Farmers Branch that built Carroll Shelby licensed "Eleanor" Mustangs and Chip Foose 1969 Camaros. The Farmers Branch Police Department seized 61 vehicles that had tampered Vehicle Identification Numbers. Unique Performance declared bankruptcy a week later. [4]
[edit] Immigration measures
In November 2006, the city of Farmers Branch entered the national spotlight when its council became the first in Texas to pass anti-illegal immigration measures, proposed by Councilman Tim O'Hare, which include fining landlords that rent to illegal aliens, and allowing local authorities to screen illegal aliens in police custody. The measures also included a provision making English the official language of the city. The original discussions in August 2006 additionally considered punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants and eliminating subsidies for illegal immigrants in the city's youth programs.[5] After initially being set aside in favor of a resolution calling for the federal government to increase immigration-law enforcement,[6] the rental, police, and official-language measures were adopted by the council on November 13, 2006[7] Following disputes over whether closed-door discussions of the measures violated the state's open-meetings law, a petition was circulated by opponents in order to force the council either to repeal the measures or to hold a special election to allow voters to decide the issue directly; the petition was certified in late December 2006, leading to the scheduling of a vote in May, until which time the measures would not be enforced.[8]
On May 12, 2007, the referendum passed by a margin of 68% to 32% despite last-minute opposition from mayor Bob Phelps and many city employees. O'Hare spoke from the headquarters of the proponents of the bill, challenging anyone who might be thinking of filing a lawsuit to prevent the implementation of the ordinance with countersuits. He also said that Farmers Branch would be willing to take the case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. On the same day, voters elected to the City Council two candidates who had supported the measures.[9][10] In response to two acts of vandalism against Phelps' house, one after he announced his opposition to the measures, federal agents advised him to abandon his 20-year tradition of spending election night at City Hall and leave town instead until after elections were over.[11]
On May 21, 2007, Judge Sam A. Lindsay of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted a temporary restraining order enjoining the city from enforcing the ordinance—one day before it was due to go into effect—until the court rules on several plaintiffs' motions for a permanent restraining order.[12][13] Just prior to a June 5 hearing over the preliminary injunction, the same judge dismissed from one of the lawsuits a group of business plaintiffs who had said they suffered business losses and simultaneously denied the request of the national organization Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) to participate in the lawsuit on behalf of the defendants.[14]
[edit] Education
Most of Farmers Branch is a part of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. Dallas Independent School District also serves a small portion of Farmers Branch. Farmers Branch is home to Dallas Christian College, a four-year Bible college, and Brookhaven College, a community college of the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD).
[edit] Transportation
Farmers Branch was one of fifteen cities to approve services of Dallas Area Rapid Transit in 1983 by levying a 1 cent sales tax. The city currently receives DART bus service, with service to downtown Dallas (by both regular route and express bus), the adjacent suburb of Carrollton and crosstown routes as well. By the year 2010, the city is scheduled to receive light rail transit service with a station near the northeast corner of Interstates 635 and 35E on the Green Line, which will run from Pleasant Grove in southeast Dallas through downtown Dallas following I-35E up to Carrollton at Frankford Road.
The City is also nestled between Interstate 35E to the west, the Dallas North Tollway on the east and Interstate 635 to the south.
[edit] Sister Cities
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Merritt Johnson. "Unique Performance raided by local police" "Autoblog.com", November 6, 2007
- ^ Stephanie Sandoval. "FB studies tough provisions aimed at illegal immigrants: Proposals would affect landlords, employers; some say rules would draw lawsuits," The Dallas Morning News, August 21, 2006
- ^ Stephanie Sandoval. "Act on immigrant issue, FB tells U.S.: Council to wait on adopting controversial ordinances, for now," The Dallas Morning News, September 5, 2006
- ^ Stephanie Sandoval. "FB moves against illegal immigrants: Council approves restrictions on rentals, language measure," The Dallas Morning News, November 14, 2006
- ^ "FB officials certify petition on rental law: Council can repeal ordinance or call special election," The Dallas Morning News, December 27, 2006
- ^ Anabelle Garay. "Anti-illegal-immigrant law OK'd in Texas," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 13, 2007
- ^ Stephanie Sandoval. "FB immigration law wins easily," The Dallas Morning News, May 13, 2007
- ^ Jacquielynn Floyd. "Mayor: No real winners in this vote," The Dallas Morning News, May 13, 2007 (page 18A in the print edition).
- ^ "Judge Grants ACLU, MALDEF Request for Temporary Restraining Order in Immigration Ordinance Challenge," ACLU Foundation of Texas, May 21, 2007
- ^ Stephanie Sandoval. Order to halt rental ban frustrates FB residents, The Dallas Morning News, May 26, 2007
- ^ Stephanie Sandoval. 2 sides in FB case are dealt minor setbacks: Hearing is today on preliminary injunction against city's rental ban," The Dallas Morning News, June 5, 2007
[edit] External links
- Farmers Branch, Texas is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] Regarding proposed immigration measures
- Support
- Columnist Mark Davis
- Is Farmers Branch Racist?, Dallas Morning News, November 29, 2006
- Farmers Branch voters have spoken; who's listening?, Dallas Morning News, May 16, 2007
- In Farmers Branch and Washington, the will of the people is being ignored. The Dallas Morning News, May 23, 2007
- Opposition
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