2022-065 Friendship and Sister CitiesOctober 14, 2022 Report No. 2022-065
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Sister and Friendship Cities
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Both Sister and Friendship Cities often provide reciprocally beneficial relationships for
participating jurisdictions. The City of Denton has previously held a Sister City relationship with
the City of San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico from 2000-2004. The City holds an
existing Friendship City relationship with the City of Múzquiz, Coahuila, Mexico since 2015.
DISCUSSION:
On Sept. 29, Council Member McGee requested information on the City’s history regarding
friendship city and sister city relationships.
SISTER CITY DEFINED
A Sister City, county, or state relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two
communities in two countries. A Sister City, county, or state relationship is officially recognized
after the governing bodies from both communities approve an agreement and both communities
are members of Sister Cities International.
Sister Cities International (SCI) is a hub for institutional knowledge and best practices in the field
of citizen diplomacy. As a membership association, they work to strengthen the sister cities
network by providing essential services, programs, and resources to help members find partners
as well as to expand and improve activities.
SISTER CITY MISSION
The organization's mission is to "promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and
cooperation — one individual, one community at a time." Sister Cities International's stated goals
are to: Develop municipal partnerships between U.S. cities, counties, and states and similar
jurisdictions in other nations.
SISTER CITY DETERMINATION
A Sister City, county, or state relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two
communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or
appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities.
SISTER CITY MUTUAL BENEFITS
Although Sister City partnerships were originally forged for military or political ties, this has
extended greatly, and today sister cities have a focus on cultural exchanges, education, business
and trade ties. Now, more than 2,000 cities, states and counties are partnered in over 140 countries
around the world.
FRIENDSHIP CITY DEFINED
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A Friendship City or Friendship Cities relationship is often formed by cities as a “stepping stone”
to a more formal “Sister City” agreement. Friendship City relationships can help communities
explore compatibility and develop the expertise and resources needed to maintain consistent
programming.
Typically, Friendship City agreements are referred to as such in the formal documents that are
signed. Whereas Sister City relationships require approval from both cities' respective city
councils, Friendship City Agreements can be made between Mayors through a "Memorandum of
Understanding" that endorses the link between the municipalities. Additionally, Friendship City
relationships do not have an expectant sunset, but simply end when beneficial to both cities.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SISTER AND FRIENDSHIP CITIES
Friendship cities may be less formal than sister cities. In some cities, “Friendship City” is often
used as a first stage in the relationship, and after it is strengthened, and the partners are sure they
want a long-term relationship they will become “sister cities.”
DENTON’S SISTER AND FRIENDSHIP CITY HISTORY
The City of Denton and the City of San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, became Sister
Cities through the SCI program in September 2000. The Denton-San Nicolás partnership was the
recipient of SCI’s annual Municipal Innovation Award in its inaugural year, recognizing the
partnership’s structure and the breadth of respective community partners, programming, and
exchanges.
To develop and maintain a robust partnership, Sister City programs are typically administered by
one or more full-time city or university staff, or by volunteer community groups in both partner
cities. Previously, the City of Denton’s Economic Development department had a staff person
whose primary role was related to cultural relations, including Sister/Friendship City duties.
Denton and San Nicolás continued programs and exchanges through 2004, until economic and
other factors in both cities did not support an ongoing Sister Cities relationship. University
international departments were approached to provide staffing and financial support, but were not
positioned to “adopt” the partnership for continuation. At that time, the City of Denton indicated
it would be open to considering Sister City partnerships if a local university could sustain the
partnership financially and administratively. In December 2021, Denton renewed its membership
to Sister Cities International at a cost of $1,030, expiring in Sep. 2023.
Subsequently, the City of Denton was approached by a Denton citizen volunteer organization,
Proyecto 10, to form a partnership between the City of Denton and the City of Múzquiz, Coahuila,
Mexico, with the same goals as the SCI program, but not requiring membership fees/programming.
For over 50 years, many citizens from Múzquiz have become part of the Denton community, where
they and/or their children have opened businesses, become educators, public safety officers, arts
advocates, finance and traces professionals, civic leaders such as Roland Vela, and Texas
Woman’s University and University of North Texas alumnae. The Denton-Múzquiz Friendship
Cities agreement was signed in May 2015. Both the saddle in the City Hall corridor and table in
the Mayor’s office are gifts celebrating our Friendship City relationship from the City of Múzquiz
to the Citizens of Denton. The Múzquiz City Council visited Denton in 2016 and the Múzquiz
October 14, 2022 Report No. 2022-065
Rotary Club in 2018. More recent COVID-19 travel constraints have impacted these visits and
exchanges.
CONCLUSION:
The City of Denton has experience in both Sister and Friendship City relationships, affording
mutual benefits throughout the years to the City of Denton, the City of San Nicolás de los Garza,
and the City of Múzquiz. Consideration of both administrative and financial cost is relevant should
formalized programs via SCI be explored, including the aforementioned full-time position
previously needed to meet the demands of these relationships, and the financial impact of
associated travel, hosting, sponsorships, and other related needs.
STAFF CONTACT:
Christina Davis, Business Development Administrator
Christina.Davis@cityofdenton.com
Monica Benavides, Assistant to the City Manager
Monica.Benavides@cityofdenton.com
Jennifer Rainey, Assistant to the City Manager
Jennifer.Rainey@cityofdenton.com
REQUESTOR: Staff Initiated
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS:
City Manager’s Office
Economic Development