Bishop, West Monroe
Bishop, West Monroe | |
|---|---|
 Bishop Town Square | |
| Country | Ibica |
| State | West Monroe |
| County | Freemont |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • City Council | Mayor Joe R. Zimmerman Himesh Gandhi Jennifer J. Lane Steve R. Porter Naushad Kermally Stewart Jacobson Carol K. McCutcheon |
| • City Manager | Mike Goodrum |
| Area | |
| • Total | 57.90 sq mi (111.12 km2) |
| • Land | 40.47 sq mi (104.81 km2) |
| Elevation | 21 ft (6 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 144,823 |
| • Density | 2,501.26/sq mi (965.74/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) |
| Area code | 284 |
| Website | www |
Bishop is the 4th largest city in Freemont County, West Monroe, Ibica, located in the southeastern part of the county. Located about 9 miles (14 km) southeast of downtown Willmington, Bishop is a populous suburban municipality centered around the junction of Interstate 10 and Interstate 610.
Bishop is one of the most affluent cities in West Monroe. Between 2010 and 2017, Bishop also had a 46% increase in jobs. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 144,823.
Economy
As in the rest of the Greater Willmington area, the energy industry presence is large, specifically petroleum exploration and refining. MonroeImperial, an oil services company, moved its Willmington-area offices to a campus in Bishop in 2015.
Government and infrastructure
Bishop operates under the Council-Manager form of government. Under this system, Council appoints the city manager, who acts as the chief executive officer of the government. The city manager carries out policy and administers city programs. All department heads, including the city attorney, police chief and fire chief, are ultimately responsible to the city manager.
Some of the strengths of the council-manager form of government as opposed to a strong-mayor form of government include - all councilmembers have equal rights, obligations and opportunities, the power is assigned to the council as a whole, and the city manager must be responsive in providing day-to-day services to citizens.
Bishop's composition of the city council consists of a mayor, four councilmembers to be elected by single-member districts in odd-numbered years and two councilmembers by at-large positions in even-numbered years with the mayor.
The city hall was built as part of the Bishop Town Square development. The space that previously served as city hall was converted for use by the offices of the Bishop Fire Department.
Local attractions
Bishop Town Square serves as the primary entertainment district in Bishop and southern Freemont County. The district offers an array of restaurants, sidewalk cafes, shopping venues, and conference center, mid-rise offices and homes, a public plaza, and Bishop City Hall. Festivals and important events take place in the plaza.
Next door to the district is Capital Park Mall, a major regional shopping mall that recently expanded from its original indoor design to include an outdoor lifestyle component, several parking garages, and new signage that blends in with the surrounding area.
In May 2016, two sculptures in the Town Square's public plaza were installed as part of a 10-piece collection donated by a Bishop resident to the city through the Bishop Legacy Foundation. One of the statues, which depicts two girls taking a selfie, has received criticism and acclaim from the media and general public.
Education
Primary and secondary education
Public schools
The Bishop Independent School District (BISD) is the school district that serves all of the city of Bishop. High schools serving Bishop residents include Clements High School, Dulles High School, and Bishop High School.
Public libraries
Residents of Bishop are served by the Freemont County Libraries system, which has 11 libraries. Three branches are within the city: Bishop Branch, Airport Springs Branch, and Riverside Branch.
Transportation
Bishop is served by the Willmington Area Rapid Transit Authority. WARTA services include local busses and BRT, as well as a light rail line that connects to Willmington Carter International Airport in town. The Airport also serves as the south/eastern end of the Monroe, Rhone, & Southern Railway's commuter rail service between the Willmington and Rhone areas.
Major thoroughfares
Interstate 10, the major freeway running diagonally through the city currently has eight main lanes, with two diamond lanes and six continuous frontage road lanes. The freeway is currently undergoing a major expansion east of the city to accommodate growth in the nearby Love County.
Ibican Route 2 is another major highway running through Bishop from west to east and traverses a historic area of the city. Originally the main highway in the area before the construction of the Interstate system, IR-2 is currently widened to an eight-lane highway with a 30-foot (9.1 m) median north of Interstate 10, and split in dual one way roads through the historic area of town.
Interstate 610 is the loop freeway circling the Willmington area, which passes through the center of Willmington. The freeway consists of 6 main lanes and an HOV lane each way.
