Our city has experienced several changes and obstacles in the last two years. With each occurrence, there are new opportunities to navigate, grow from and improve upon. You may have some questions regarding our way forward as a city. We invite you to a Q&A with City Manager Chris Whittaker and hope the information offered in this section will answer some questions you may have had.
Q: In recent city council meetings, we’ve heard that the City of Angleton will partner with Belize City, Belize as sister cities. What does “Sister City” mean, and what are the potential benefits for each city in the partnership?
A: A sister city relationship is formally created when the mayors or highest elected officials from two communities sign a memorandum of understanding establishing the partnership.
Research is the first thing a city will do after establishing that they want to have a sister city. Sister city relationships are long-term strategic partnerships that should be mutually beneficial, and identifying potential partners is the foundation for developing a successful relationship. Below is a list of points to consider when looking at a potential partner.
Population size – some variance in city sizes is natural, but choosing a sister city of similar size usually ensures good symmetry between municipal governments
Similar challenges/opportunities – geographic qualities, cities will be able to share valuable knowledge related to the respective challenge or opportunity associated with each quality
Industries – academic institutions high school and university exchanges, which are often a part of any relationship, require similar counterpart institutions
Cultural institutions – this may include museums, music venues, community centers
A sister-city relationship is intended to expand, strengthen and benefit both parties. This voluntary forging of ties helps to encourage business, trade, educational and cultural exchanges and projects between the sister cities.
For more information on the City of Angleton and Belize City partnership click here.