The City of Tyler has a long history of innovative, forward thinking management along with performance excellence. The foundation was established in 1997, when the City of Tyler adopted the "Blueprint" Business Model to express their core values and commitment to continuous improvement in the way the City of Tyler conducts business and delivers services. As part of the Blueprint, Tyler has kept staffing at a minimum, the City of Tyler has a similar number of employees today as they did in 1987, even though the community has grown by 30 percent. City of Tyler has also paid off all general obligation debt and earned a AAA bond rating.

In the last several years, the world economy has experienced a devastating recession that has changed the way citizens view the government. It has become even more critical that the City of Tyler differentiate itself and continue to demonstrate a commitment to performance excellence and fiscal conservatism.