Editing Irving, Texas (section)

==Government and infrastructure==

===Local government===
[[File:Irving June 2019 08 (Irving City Hall).jpg|thumb|Irving City Hall]]

Prior to the November 2008 elections, Irving banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in stores, making it the largest in population dry suburb in North Texas. In 2004 the pro-alcohol measure failed with 63% of voters opposing the measure. In 2006, 52% voted against the measure. On the third attempt, with heavy monetary backing by retailers, voters narrowly voted in favor of the measure in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/DN-alcoholwrap05met.ART.State.Edition2.4a2bd44.html |title=Irving goes wet - narrowly &#124; News for Dallas, Texas &#124; Dallas Morning News &#124; Dallas-Fort Worth Politics &#124; the Dallas Morning News |access-date=November 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523132029/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/DN-alcoholwrap05met.ART.State.Edition2.4a2bd44.html |archive-date=May 23, 2009 }}</ref> People in favor of changing Irving's liquor laws saw the interest in the [[2008 United States Presidential Election]] as a catalyst for changing the laws in their favor.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122565413973491213 |work=The Wall Street Journal |first=David |last=Kesmodel |date=3 November 2008 |title=Irving, Texas, Alcohol Ban Faces Nov. 4 Challenge}}</ref>

In 2009 Irving had a city council that was entirely at-large. While Irving has a large population of racial minorities, the entire city council and the mayor's office, was entirely non-Hispanic White. Manny Benavidez, a resident of Irving, filed a lawsuit against the city in federal court in November 2007, saying that the voting system was not in compliance with the [[1965 Voting Rights Act]]. On July 15, 2009, a federal judge ruled that Irving is required to create a new electoral system so that racial minority representatives may be voted into office.<ref name="MannWhiteBurd">{{cite web |url=http://www.texasobserver.org/features/white-mans-burden |title=White Man's Burden – The Texas Observer |work=The Texas Observer|date=2009-08-19 }}</ref> In 2010 elections, which included one at-large seat and two district-seats, three new council members were elected, replacing two incumbents and adding a newly created seat. Among the three new council members were two minority council members.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704250104575238392761660272 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=14 May 2010 |title=Still Segregating Voters}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://irvingblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/05/live-blog-election-updates-on.html |title=Live blog: Voters oust Spink, send Smith to runoff, reject 3 charter measures |work=Irving Blog |date=2016-03-04 |access-date=2010-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124133648/http://irvingblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/05/live-blog-election-updates-on.html |archive-date=2011-01-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{hidden begin
|title = List of mayors of Irving, Texas
|titlestyle = background:#F8F8FF;width:60%
}}
* Otis Brown, 1914–1917<ref name=Hart>{{cite web |url=http://cityofirving.org/1977/Historical-Sketch |title=Historical Sketch of Irving |author=Jan Hart |publisher= City of Irving |access-date= April 12, 2017 }}</ref> 
* C. G. Miller, 1917–1919, 1925–1927<ref name=Graveyard>{{cite web |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/TX/ofc/irving.html |title=Mayors of Irving, Texas |editor=Lawrence Kestenbaum |editor-link=Lawrence Kestenbaum |work=[[Political Graveyard]] |access-date= April 12, 2017 }}</ref>
* P. H. Lively, 1919–1921<ref name=Graveyard />
* W. F. Miller, 1921–1923<ref name=Graveyard />
* M. R. Price, 1923–1925<ref name=Graveyard />
* John Haley, 1927–1933<ref name=Graveyard />
* F. M. Gilbert, 1933–1937<ref name=Graveyard />
* C. P. Caldwell, 1937–1943<ref name=Graveyard />
* E. J. Johnson, 1943–1947<ref name=Graveyard />
* Hans Smith, 1947–1951<ref name=Graveyard />
* C. B. Hardee, 1951–1957<ref name=Graveyard />
* Paul C. Laird, 1957–1959<ref name=Graveyard />
* Lynn Brown, 1959–1967<ref name=Graveyard />
* Robert Power, 1967–1971<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/irving/2016/02/02/former-irving-mayor-robert-power-has-died |work=[[Dallas Morning News]] |title=Former Irving Mayor Robert Power has died |date= February 2, 2016 }}</ref>
* Dan Matkin, 1971–1977<ref name=Graveyard />
* Marvin Randle, 1977–1981<ref name=Graveyard />
* Bobby Joe Raper, 1981–1987, 1993–1995<ref name=Graveyard />
* Bob Pierce, 1987–1991<ref name=Graveyard />
* Roy Brown, 1991–1993<ref name=Graveyard />
* Morris Parrish, 1995–1999<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=54153&start=740 |title=Farewell reception honors Marge and Morris Parrish, former Irving mayor |date= Feb 27, 2005 |work=Irving Rambler }}</ref>
* Joe Putnam, 1999–2005<ref name=DMN2011>{{citation |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/irving/2011/04/30/irvings-four-mayoral-candidates-focus-their-campaigns-on-one-enemy |work=Dallas Morning News |date=April 30, 2011 |title= Irving's four mayoral candidates focus their campaigns on one enemy }}</ref>
* Herbert Gears, 2005–2011<ref name=DMN2011 />
* [[Beth Van Duyne]], 2011–2017<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofirving.org/210/Meet-Your-Mayor-and-Council |title=Meet Your Mayor and Council Members |publisher=City of Irving |access-date= April 12, 2017 }}</ref>
* Rick Stopfer, 2017–present<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cityofirving.org/210/Meet-Your-Mayor-and-Council|title=Meet Your Mayor and Council Members |publisher=Irving CVB|access-date= May 23, 2017 }}</ref>
{{hidden end}}

The city of Irving is a voluntary member of the [[North Central Texas Council of Governments]] association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.

===County government===
The [[Parkland Health & Hospital System]] (Dallas County Hospital District) operates the Irving Health Center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parklandhospital.com/medical_services/centers_locations.html |title=System Error |work=parklandhospital.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516194245/http://www.parklandhospital.com/medical_services/centers_locations.html |archive-date=May 16, 2008 }}</ref>

===Federal representation===
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates post offices in Irving. The Irving Main Post Office is at 2701 West Irving Boulevard.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/71297?p=1&s=TX&service_name=post_office&z=Irving |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716110929/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/71297?p=1&s=TX&service_name=post_office&z=Irving |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-16 |title=Whitepages – Find People, Businesses & More |work=whitepages.com }}</ref> Other post offices in the city include Central Irving, Las Colinas, and Valley Ranch.<ref name="usps irving locations">{{cite web|url=https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorAction.action|title=Find Locations|access-date=5 February 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203232532/https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorAction.action|url-status=dead}}</ref>