Strategic Plan for 2025–2030 Adopted

The City of Hillsboro is proud to announce the adoption of its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, a roadmap designed to guide our community’s growth, development, and shared vision for the future.

The plan offers a new mission statement:

The City of Hillsboro is a welcoming prairie community rooted in resilience, hard work, and connection. We exist to serve, support, and strengthen our people by honoring our heritage, empowering growth, and fostering innovation. With a commitment to sustainable development and inclusive values, we strive to create a future where everyone feels welcome, valued, and proud to call Hillsboro home.

The plan reflects the values of our prairie community—Progress, Resilience, Integrity, Respect, Innovation, and Empowerment through education.

Key areas of focus include Tier 1 Goals:

• Housing Development – Expanding quality, affordable housing options and supporting neighborhood revitalization.
• Economic Opportunity – Energizing downtown, supporting small businesses, and investing in innovation through the Power the Prairie initiatives.
• Education Connections – Strengthening partnerships with USD 410, Tabor College, and local trade programs to help students learn, work, and thrive in Hillsboro.

The plan also contains a Tier 2 Goal of sustaining progress and forward momentum on current projects. The goal is to maintain strong city services, balanced budgets, and transparent communication while encouraging community engagement, partnerships, and open dialogue to ensure every voice is heard.

In Mayor Lou Thurston's opening letter he states that this plan is “...more than just a document—it is a shared roadmap for how we move forward together, guided by the values and ideas that define who we are as a community.”

You can read the full 2025–2030 Strategic Plan by clicking below.