About

The City of Cedar Hill named Chasidy Benson as assistant city manager on August 26 following a comprehensive nationwide search. Currently serving as the City’s planning director, Benson brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning, community engagement, and project management to the role of assistant city manager in Cedar Hill. 

“Chasidy has a proven track record of thoughtful and collaborative leadership. Her expertise and experience will be invaluable as we continue to pursue the community’s vision of a premier city,” said City Manager Melissa Valadez-Cummings. “We are thrilled have her as part of our team in this new role.”

Before joining the Cedar Hill team, Benson managed the planning and development function in a variety of roles at the cities of Garland, Duncanville, and Arlington. Projects delivered under her leadership have earned state and national recognition for public outreach and planning excellence.

Benson holds a Master of City and Regional Planning degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University. She also earned the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) from the American Planning Association.

Cedar Hill, Texas – On May 28, the Cedar Hill City Council named Melissa Valadez-Cummings as its next city manager in a unanimous vote. Valadez-Cummings has served the City of Cedar Hill for more than 20 years, most recently as deputy city manager.  

 “It has been an extreme honor and privilege to serve the community that I love so much and to work alongside such an amazing team,” Valadez-Cummings said. “My time in Cedar Hill has been rewarding and heartwarming. I am excited to serve the community as Cedar Hill’s next city manager.”

Over the course of her career at the City of Cedar Hill, Valadez-Cummings has overseen numerous strategic initiatives and departments. In her role as deputy city manager, she led the implementation of the City’s 2017 bond program, which authorized $45 million in parks renovations, street and drainage improvements, an outdoor aquatics facility and a new public library and signature park. Valadez-Cummings has also been a champion of Cedar Hill’s sustainability efforts, securing more than two million dollars in grants for citywide green projects. 

 “Melissa is a proven leader who has played an important role in every major milestone in Cedar Hill in the last 20 years,” said Mayor Stephen Mason. “She has earned the confidence of the city council and staff to lead the organization as our next city manager.”

Valadez-Cummings is an ICMA Certified Public Manager through the International City Managers Association and an alumni of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.  She is a 2007 graduate of the Senior Executive Institute (SEI) of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and a 2008 graduate of the Leadership ICMA program.  Valadez-Cummings is an active member of the International City Management Association (ICMA), the Texas City Management Association (TCMA) and the North Texas City Management Association (NTCMA).  Valadez-Cummings earned her bachelor's degree in political science from Kansas State University and holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas, where she serves on the alumni board of the renowned KU MPA City Management focused program. 

Current City Manager Greg Porter will step down from his role on July 31, after 37 years of service to the City. Valadez-Cummings’ first day will be August 1.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. 

These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as: 

• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device

Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA's website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.