‘The Place for Me': Allen's New City Manager Faces Changes, ‘balancing Act' as Town Grows

Even as he worked for Plano and Colleyville, Eric Ellwanger wanted to work for the city where he and his two daughters lived: Allen.They moved to Allen 11 years ago, and he admired the city’s government from afar before the right job opened up in 2012.Now, he’s the growing suburb’s city manager.“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity, and mostly because it’s in this city,” he said. “This has been the place for me.”Ellwanger, 43, was officially named Allen’s next city manager last week, after serving in an interim role since May 1. He was the assistant to the city manager, then assistant city manager in Allen.He takes over from Peter Vargas, who was Allen’s city manager during a period of rapid growth starting in 1999. The city is likely to grow more during Ellwanger's tenure.According to estimates from the Allen Economic Development Council, the city is set to grow of 2.4% annually from its current population of 104,636. A city report in 2016 projected a population of over 122,400 by 2030.“We’re not the only city in this scenario, but when you’re growing this fast it comes with its challenges,” he said.  Continue reading...