Full Transcript for How Sanger Built Financial Strength For Growth

in your personal budget. 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:23.439 If if it's tight, then you write the bills and there's not much optionality at the end of the day. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:34.800 We've taken that 16-year time frame and really probably the first 10 or 12, where we were making the most headway because there was a lot of headway to be made on the financial front. 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:52.800 We we tout the fact that I don't know if it's four or five different raises in our bond kind of rating where we've improved our financial standing, and we've talked about it before, where that's not just kind of a stamp of approval, but actually lowers our interest cost. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:59.680 And because we built the financial wherewithal to get that rating, now we have optionality. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:05.120 You know, now we can do some things that we couldn't do when we really didn't have the budget to do it. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:10.800 So it's I uh it's it's transformative, but it's not an immediacy. 00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:17.519 You know, it's just a long, hard, you know, especially early on where we were slogging through budgets and keeping things pretty tight. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:21.920 And letting, you know, the the great thing is Sanger's grown over 16 years. 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:29.120 So we could let the growth kind of, as long as we manage finance as well, we could let the growth build some of that for us. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:35.040 Um if we had didn't have growth, I think that would have been a harder proposition for for all of us, right? 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:38.000 So I think that's a big piece of it. 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:48.480 And um, you know, government's always about, and we should kind of be, in a lot of ways, just be transparent you know, transparent, you know, nobody even knows we're here, right? 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:58.319 I mean, electric, water, wastewater, police, fire, just the core blocking and tackling things, those are the things we really focused most on. 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:22.959 Um, and so I think between financial stability and just pushing all of those a little bit further down the road, year after year, um, I think that's you know what I'm most proud of is that it's not some spectacular uh change, but it's that this flywheel just slowly pushing and making uh good, steady progress, um, you know, and managing it appropriately that way. 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:25.360 Obviously, there's a lot of city staff behind that. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:31.360 It's all the city managers and other city staff behind making those budgets and staff implementing those budgets. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:33.279 We just do the policy at the top. 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:41.279 So you you know that's a lot, there's a lot of balls to juggle at all aspects of a city at all levels. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:50.879 Um, and you mentioned uh uh a lot about the finances and and um how that impacts uh some of the projects and the things that we're able to do over time. 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:55.439 What what have you what do you think has been the biggest challenge during your tenure? 00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:12.720 You know, um and I'm gonna give an example uh in a minute to clarify this because I don't want it to be taken negatively, but um in any organization, I think the people dynamic is really probably the hardest and most challenging thing to do. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:16.079 I mean, we're all fallible people, none of us are perfect, right? 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:23.600 And so we're all have ideas about what we want to accomplish, what we want to do, and they're usually different at least a little bit from the other people around us. 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:34.080 You know, as you know, we deal, you know, as mayor, you you deal with the public, right, who are gonna give input uh and you're gonna take that and listen to it. 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:37.759 That's what I've always told folks that I'm I'm the ears on this thing. 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:39.840 If you're willing to come to me, I'll listen. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:46.320 And you know, staff has got to sometimes take those things and run with them because we're not on the ground every day like staff is. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:09:00.559 But the public, uh council, you know, you've got to get to some consensus on council, a group of people who are uh looking out for the best interests of the city, and so you're trying to get to some consensus there, but we all have different ideas, you know, at certain points. 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:09.759 Sometimes they're real easy, and we all have immediate consensus, and sometimes we have to talk through it, and and then sometimes we disagree, but we take votes and we move on down the road, right? 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:13.679 Um and then and then staff, so the public, council, staff. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:20.879 So, you know, the people dynamic I think is always kind of one of those that you're always working on. 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:36.799 I like to give the example because I've served in nonprofits and on the city level, you know, whether it's church or a nonprofit board or my own business or here in in the city, um, I kind of give a sausage example. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:45.120 You know, if you if you wake up in the morning and your wife's got some sausage cooking and you smell it from the bedroom, you're like, man, that smells really great. 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:49.759 You know, sausage, it's you know, it's a perfect morning, uh, morning breakfast uh thing. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:51.440 It's got that great smell to it. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:54.240 And of course, we all know how sausage is made, right? 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:56.799 I mean, it's it's a grinding process. 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:02.960 It's actually some of the pieces, parts that are leftovers, gets ground through the process and molded and made. 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:09.279 Ultimately, it's this great

smelling, you know, output that you enjoy with your breakfast, right? 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:37.200 So, and uh inevitably, any organization, whether that's nonprofit, the city, you know, my own business, you know, there's always challenges there, hopefully in the end, through some of that machinations, that that grinding process that we actually come out and when when people, you know, kind of walk into a restaurant, they smell the restaurant city, they kind of smell the sausage and they go, yeah, this is a pretty good mix of things, you know, this has come together. 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:47.200 So I think that's the uh that's probably the the most uh you know it challenging and the dynamic there, the one that's more moving all the time, right? 00:10:47.360 --> 00:10:47.840 Yeah, yeah. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:51.759 You can't do because you can't control how people react or how they respond. 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:52.960 That's how they interact. 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:53.679 Yeah, absolutely. 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:55.120 Yeah, absolutely. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:11:01.759 Uh so and you made the great, great analogy with the sausage, because not a lot of people like to know how the sausage is made. 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:15.120 I just wish I would have had breakfast because now I'm on the are there any projects or initiatives that you're really particularly proud of that the general public may not even be aware of. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:15.840 Yeah. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:24.639 Um so yeah, I was thinking about uh this idea a little bit, you know, and I'm kind of put a book in on it a little bit. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:37.519 Uh when Gary and I were coming on to council, we had been on 4B together for a good while, and something that was almost immediately kind of complete and put together was the Porter Sports Park. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:47.200 So at the front end of our tenure, you know, and others were involved in that process, and uh we were involved in it at the 4B level leading into our council tenures. 00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:55.279 And I've always told people that facility, and the public's aware of it, but that facility is our best billboard for our city. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:12:04.320 When people drive up and down 35, they see uh an outdoor, active, you know, uh really polished kind of park. 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:08.240 Um and so I think that is on the front end of a tenure. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:14.720 I I like that as an example of something that took collaboration even pre-council for for us. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:24.799 Uh on the back end, the other side of the bookend, you know, several years ago we bought some acreage, um, you know, uh fairly large acreage. 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:39.600 We needed extra space for a wastewater treatment plant, we needed uh potential future space for some water infrastructure, you know, some you know, storage and parks, buildings, and you know, there was a lot of things we could imagine that acreage

being. 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:42.320 And so we've spent the last couple of years. 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:49.360 Uh we purchased it, we had the opportunity to do it because we were in a financial state where we could. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:13:09.759 We will pull that, we've pulled that into the city so there's a it's enough acreage that it it will in the future be uh extra houses that we spread our property tax base over so that a broader group of people can bear the, you know, and hopefully everybody have a little less tax burden because we've got a broader base to spread it over. 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:18.080 And we got to carve out the public uses that were, you know, so imperative for kind of the next chapter in the city. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:33.440 We didn't have to go figure out where we're gonna place a 20, 30 year, you know, take us way into the future wastewater treatment plan, or maybe place another well or another storage facility for our water so that we're all looped together. 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:37.200 So um, and that one had you know multiple aspects to it. 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:47.279 It met a you know future planning and on multiple fronts because extra houses met some needs, and uh it's not to fruition. 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:56.559 I mean, we're gonna we're gonna have to you know make some transitions with that extra acreage we don't need and put it back back out, and you know, we're in the process of doing that now. 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:02.240 So it's a good bookend, front end and back, to kind of think about you know some key key things. 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:03.279 That's fantastic. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:04.960 This one was for both of you. 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:15.519 Uh because the city has changed uh in so many ways since you you both started serving, uh, from your perspectives, how has the community really evolved? 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:18.639 Uh, you know, culturally, economically, physically. 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:22.399 What what what have you seen through this transition period? 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:25.120 You want to take that one since I've been talking a little while? 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:27.440 Sure, I'll give you a break. 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:35.679 Well, I um I first started coming to Singer in 1989 when uh I started dating my future wife. 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.240 And um there wasn't a lot here. 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:51.279 I mean, there were a few very few restaurants, and uh most of them were family-owned, and you had breakfast and lunch, but uh and there weren't a lot of people either. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:56.559 So you just look around and you see the beehive of activity. 00:14:56.960 --> 00:15:05.440 There's many places to eat, there's lots of lots and lots of uh residential neighborhoods now. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:18.159 Um and so just seeing that that change um economically, I think Thomas mentioned it when we first came on council in 2010. 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:19.360 Uh we really were. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:27.279 I mean, we had approximately 45 days of reserve, and and I always say for a municipality, that's really paycheck to paycheck. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:30.799 So growing those reserves uh were important. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:44.960 Um and uh the you know, Thomas called them the the the just the blocking and tackling, I called it the the major muscle movements, you know, the water, the wastewater and electrical. 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:47.279 And uh it doesn't happen fast. 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:52.080 Those had some hefty price tags, and we just didn't have the money. 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:55.600 So it was a slow process, but it must methodical. 00:15:56.159 --> 00:16:08.000 And I really believe that that as much as we would like to have more money in the bank and do things, I think we grew at a manageable rate. 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:14.240 You know, it's not just what what services we provide, but uh, you know, the national economy does affect that. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:26.399 And when the housing market is down or the economy is in uh uh a recession or close to a recession, you know, people stop building, they they get a little tighter, and that's helped us. 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:37.440 And even if some of these big developments wanted to come, uh uh we were in a position to to handle it with the water, the wastewater, and uh the electrical grid. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:43.200 And we've improved all of those things, and I think that's a huge accomplishment. 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:47.919 And and you know, I I give Thomas a lot of credit for leading the way on that. 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:56.159 We've we've man or we've uh secured some some uh uh water in the future, and we're able to expand. 00:16:56.240 --> 00:17:06.240 We have some just recently negotiated a uh electrical rate that is very favorable to us for the next 15, 16 years. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:11.680 And we're in the process of doubling our capacity on the electrical grid. 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:19.519 So when you have all those things in place, and people have been wanting to come here for years, when you have all that in place, there's nothing to stop them. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:23.200 And so I think it's important for people to understand that. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:36.559 Um economically when we first came on council, the the preponderance of of the revenue the city gained was on on the backs of the residents. 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:38.960 It was the the local homeowners. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:41.359 That has shifted drastically. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:51.599 This last I think the last audit really opened my eyes when we had a 50-50 split in residents and now the commercial base. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:57.039 And and that has always been one of one of my priorities is to shift that. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:03.680 How do we take some of that burden, alleviate some of the burden from the the residents and shift that to commercial?

00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:11.200 Well, uh we got to build it, and then they come, and then once they're here, we can start uh capturing that. 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:18.160 And now with some of the big developments that have come in, uh we'll we'll start seeing that uh very, very soon. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:27.920 We haven't even seen uh uh started reaping some of those benefits from from Tom Thumb grocery store and and everything. 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:30.880 They're the anchor and everything else they're bringing in. 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:36.480 But each year we're gonna see that shift more and more to to the commercial side. 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:38.799 I think that'll be good for the residents. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:42.079 You were talking about the change. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:45.359 So I I date predate Gary a little bit in Sanger. 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:52.880 I catch older than I can go back to 1970, you know, because I've lived here for forever. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:56.880 Um and seeing it as a kid, I have a funny story. 00:18:57.039 --> 00:19:07.759 Every once in a while I get asked, and it's you know, because of uh teachers having their literature in third grade a government study, you know, as part of their teaks or whatever they have. 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:21.359 And so a couple of times I've spoken to uh the kids, and I g went back and tried to find about what our population was when I was in third grade because I attended third grade in Singer. 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:23.759 It's about 2,500, you know. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:32.960 And so I I give them a series of uh of numbers, and one of them is 2,500, and I try to let them let them guess, you know, what's that number mean, you know. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:37.680 Well, that's what it was when I was here in Sanger, and now it's you know 10,000 plus, right? 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:39.519 And so give them an idea. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:45.440 I also give them a zero as a number, and I ask them, ask them, you know, what would the zero maybe represent? 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:48.000 And they're really befuddled about that. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:52.079 And I said, Well, that's what your that's what your mayor and city council get paid. 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:58.480 So anyway, and and that surprises some of the teachers even. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:10.559 So anyway, but you know, in the past 16 years, we've morphed, and over my lifetime, we've morphed from a town where everybody knows each other to a town where, like we said earlier, families are choosing to come here. 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:12.240 We have a lot of new families. 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:15.839 Uh, we're facing the growth as the Metroplex pushes this way. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:28.079 We're kind of the last, you know, uh standing free, you know, open real estate and open, you know, you can plan industrial, you can plan retail, you can plan residential. 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:30.079 So we're one of those last areas. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.599 So a lot of new families. 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.720 I think our demographic is falling, is everything I see. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:40.799 Um, I think you see that in the school going out for the for the bond election to meet that falling demographic. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:48.960 I think that's probably um, you know, something they're doing the planning on, but um I think it matches the demographic we're facing. 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:51.519 And so you just see families choosing us. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:59.279 Um yeah, it's very interesting when you look at the average age of families or the median age of families here, they're in their in their mid-30s. 00:20:59.359 --> 00:20:59.519 Yeah. 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:12.960 You know, that that's really nice, you know, when when uh you know, from the city's perspective, when you're able to to look at that um and uh that have those families here that can can start the new legacies. 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:13.279 Yeah. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:20.000 So what lessons from your time as mayor do you hope will continue to guide the city long after you're gone? 00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:28.880 Um, you know, there's um talked about just the slow methodical process of pushing forward. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:41.440 Um the you know, I hope the city will maintain kind of that conservative financial planning because I think it lets us, you know, be prepared for the opportunities. 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:47.839 You know, so it's not that we always have to be conservative because there's moments where an opportunity presents itself. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:59.680 We've talked about some recently, um, where if we've if we've planned conservatively and reasonably, then then we get to think strategically and opportunistically when an opportunity. 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:03.359 Because sometimes those opportunities are fleeting. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:11.200 And if you don't have the wherewithal or the flexibility to take advantage of them, then you have to let them go because you can't. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:42.000 So I think we've gotten to a point where as we plan our budgets, and I know we continue to do this, plan our budgets, you know, keep some wherewithal to take advantage of opportunities, that balancing act between, you know, good budgeting and then willingness to take a strategic move that maybe you don't feel as comfortable about right up front, but you just kind of know that for the strategic well-being of the of the city, it's you need to take it, you know, when when the opportunity presents it. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:47.519 So hopefully we maintain the wherewithal to to do those kind of things uh going forward. 00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:56.640 And I think I think that's you know kind of what I would hope the city would kind of be be able to do, you know, going forward into decades in the future. 00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:57.200 Yeah, yeah. 00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:58.640 Yeah, that

makes a lot of sense. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:00.240 So that's a little bit of the past. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:01.440 Let's talk about transition. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:10.319 Uh have you have you had the ability to have any conversations during during this period that uh that give you confidence in the city's direction moving forward? 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:10.960 Yeah. 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.319 Well, we not specific during the transition. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:21.680 I mean, we we we talked about and you said it at the beginning, uh uh depending on the outcome of the election. 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:31.599 I didn't want to be too presumptuous, but uh as as that gets closer, uh I mean Thomas and I have been on council together since 2010. 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:36.960 I mean we've had many, many conversations over the years, but there there will be more. 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:38.799 I mean, there there needs to be. 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:53.519 Uh I don't claim to know it all, and I'm sure there are many things I I may not be aware of, or or things that he's been working on that I'm not aware of, or uh just some things to consider. 00:23:53.839 --> 00:24:08.240 And I mean I'd be remiss if I if I didn't sit down with him and and and do a turnover and a transition, but to date, you know, there hasn't there hasn't been a dedicated turnover time. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:08.799 Right. 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:14.799 Well, and I would I would uh kind of start with kind of your initial comment. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:24.000 You know, really Gary and I have been on council together so long, and we've been marching, uh you know, we're both at every council meeting. 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:33.119 Um we council recently had the retreat that we have uh kind of made over the last years, made a policy of having. 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:55.039 So we're coming off of of our kind of planning retreat, which is over, you know, not quite a full day, but a a good bit of a day worth of planning where we see all of the different um, you know, key department directors, and we have you, John, the city manager there, uh laying out, you know, where are we headed in each area and what are we doing. 00:24:55.200 --> 00:25:21.200 And so really because of the tenure and then because of that, you know, routine planning that we always do, um, there really isn't any surprises or or things that um I don't think that are that are, you know, hey, we're working on this behind the scenes, you know, and and and be looking for this, where we've been, you know, that's one thing about our government in Sanger and hopefully government everywhere, but we're we're pretty transparent. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:21.440 Right. 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:23.680 And so council gets the transparency. 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:32.480 There are some moments where council has executive sessions and we have, you know, we have to do some things like that, but you know, but and that's between councils. 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:34.480 So certainly council has transparency. 00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:42.000 And then uh if as issues like that resolve themselves, obviously the full, full city um gets the transparency. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:53.680 So there's um because of our process, I I feel real confident that uh Gary said the tenure and the process both kind of handle handle where we're going. 00:25:54.079 --> 00:26:03.759 When you work uh alongside each other for so long towards common goals, it's probably a much more organic process than somebody brand new coming in from the outside. 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:04.319 Yep. 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:12.960 Um so I'll solicit some advice from the mayor uh on your behalf because we do know that um all our roles are different. 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:15.119 My role is different, certainly from the council's. 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:18.799 The council's role is is is different from say a school board. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:26.720 But even even when you're looking at those roles there, there there is there is uh some nuances between a council member and the mayor. 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:34.720 Mayor, do you have any advice for the first for first year uh going into the position of mayor? 00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:52.960 Well, I think first um I would just say generically, I think each the high-selected official should really have the freedom to place their unique style of leadership to work. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:27:00.400 So I wouldn't want my style, you know, to hamstring anything Gary would want to do. 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:03.519 Um and so I think that's important. 00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:13.359 You know, I I think council as a whole, each person has really the best interests of the city at heart, and Gary does. 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:17.039 And so um how we exercise that is different. 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:37.359 I tend to be kind of a little more, I don't, I don't know, more, but my style is, you know, a collaborative style that says, hey, let's let's listen to uh several different inputs and try to get you know the best ideas from that and and and see what works and see what doesn't, you know, throw everything against the wall and kind of see what sticks, kind of a style. 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:40.160 Um everybody's style is unique and different. 00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:51.119 And so um I would just say exercise the style that fits you, that you're comfortable with and that will work in a collaborative manner with the city manager. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:28:07.519 And um beyond that, I you know, I wouldn't want to say that I'm an expert in uh in leadership styles or and you know, I think it's if I was to give advice beyond that, I just think it's um genuine, you know, be genuine. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:17.920 You know, not everybody will agree with you all the time, but if your motive is genuine, um then they don't have to question at least the intent. 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:19.599 They may question your decision.

00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:25.039 I mean, you're in a position that is you know looked at, you know, and under a microscope. 00:28:25.359 --> 00:28:38.400 But um I hope that most people have felt like my intent was genuine, um, even when they might not have agreed with the the the route forward um uh over the 16 years and bear in various points. 00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:44.799 Um But I think uh people appreciate you know genuine motive. 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:58.400 And I think if you've got that, then it garners a a good amount of respect that hopefully they give you a little bit of the benefit of the doubt and as you move forward and try to do what and you as you guide counsel. 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:01.359 So that's that's probably the best advice I could give. 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:16.720 And I'm not saying I've been you know perfect at all all the things I've I've done as we've walked through this, because we all uh, you know, there's places maybe where I would do things a little different looking back on things, but at the moment every step was genuine and genuinely motivated. 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:26.079 So I think that gets a lot of um lets people give you a lot of latitude in in your decision making when it when that's the motivation. 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:26.559 Yeah. 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:44.880 I I think it's important that uh uh people understand we have this conversation all the time at City Hall, that that um everybody is trying to do the best job they can with the information they have in the best interest of the community and the people that we serve. 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:53.119 And and sometimes it looks a little different depending on where it's coming from, but the intent and the root of that I think has always been the same across the board. 00:29:53.279 --> 00:30:04.400 And you're right, I think that builds a tremendous amount of trust with the community, which for me is probably the most important thing that we do because it allows us to to move forward and uh in a lot of other areas. 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:18.480 Um Gary, what aspects of the the of Thomas's uh accomplishments um or leadership do you do you look at and go, I I I I would like to build upon that or expand upon that in the future? 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:24.799 Yeah, I I think Thomas um uh alluded to this earlier when he said, you know, it starts with council. 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:39.039 I mean, you have to have a cohesive council that can uh stay focused, um uh have a vision and and uh uh communicate that to a city manager to implement. 00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:42.079 And excuse me. 00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:47.599 Uh I I'll tell you it it personalities impact your leadership style. 00:30:47.680 --> 00:31:06.960 And I think Thomas was the right guy at the right time with the right personality and the right leadership style to to keep the council, a cohesive council, keep them focused because this is what we do, it's not a a microwave council where we pass something and it's implemented the next day. 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:26.960 These these uh uh the vision was uh 10 and 15 years down the road and fast forward being there during that period and fast forwarding 15, 16 years now and see it come to fruition, uh I was the right guy. 00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:33.759 And and uh you know, sometimes it's dealing with people is like herding cats. 00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:42.960 And uh and you know, I I think there would have been a lot more turnover on council if if you if you didn't have that. 00:31:43.359 --> 00:31:51.200 And if you didn't have his leadership style, people came, excuse me, and they uh uh there's a lot to learn. 00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:55.920 And I've been doing this a long time, and I learned something new at every council meeting. 00:31:56.240 --> 00:32:10.480 So we're not born with all those uh uh skills to run a city, but uh keeping people focused, it I think that's just uh a true testament to his leadership, leadership style. 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:18.160 And I hope to keep a cohesive council so we can give vision for the next 10 to 15 years. 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:36.559 Now I don't plan on being here like Thomas was the whole time, but if we can at least uh uh attract good people willing to commit uh uh the time it takes, the efforts, because it's not always pleasant. 00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:43.759 People don't always agree with what we're doing, but as long as we're transparent and tell them why. 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:45.920 And I I believe I've said it many times. 00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:52.880 You may not like how I vote on something, but you'll never question where where I stand or where I was going. 00:32:53.359 --> 00:32:56.000 The difference is I no longer have a vote. 00:32:56.960 --> 00:33:00.000 And uh so I had no problem with Thomas being the mayor. 00:33:00.079 --> 00:33:05.440 I had a vote and he got all the phone calls, the bad phone calls, and now that that shifts. 00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:18.720 But no, all joking aside, I think that if you can continue to keep uh uh attract good people, keep them focused, I I think that's how we get things done at the mean at our level. 00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:36.640 So for both of you, what what do you think successful transition looks like, not just administratively, but you know, really um momentum and community momentum and trust, just in the sense that uh we're a pretty rapidly growing community now, which is has been a change over the years. 00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:40.559 So what does that look like uh for for either of you? 00:33:41.440 --> 00:33:48.559 You know, I I think a good change would be if nobody noticed. 00:33:48.960 --> 00:34:09.280 You know, if we can if the transition occurs and the city keeps rocking and rolling along, and other than a vote happening and you know pushing forward at council meetings, uh a continued smooth, proactive decision making, um, then that's a success, you know. 00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:14.400 Um if

if we go unnoticed, then that's probably a success, right? 00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:20.079 Um and and there will there's times in city government where inevitably an issue will come up. 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:30.480 So just because an issue comes up and all of a sudden we're noticed doesn't mean that the transition wasn't a success, because you can never time when the unexpected happens, right? 00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:45.519 So but if there wasn't a major unexpected, strategic, you know, something that pops up, um, if it's just normal city operations, um if if the transition can just go unnoticed, I think that's a success. 00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:53.920 Um Gary talked about a cohesive council um in that last little segment, and I think that's uh really imperative. 00:34:54.159 --> 00:35:03.519 Um, it we've not always agreed on council as a whole has not doesn't always agree on every issue. 00:35:03.840 --> 00:35:14.960 We banter about the ideas, and you know, we a lot of times we've been able to get to uh a a consensus ultimately after discussing the pros and cons. 00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:22.480 Sometimes we have we, you know, every time we take votes, but sometimes we have to take votes and sometimes they're split a little bit, but then we we kind of move on. 00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:26.559 I have an interesting one on transitions and and cohesiveness. 00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:40.320 When I first came into office, I was talking with um, I was at a function away from the city, and one of the long-standing, uh I think he was long-standing city manager for Frisco forever and ever, never and ever. 00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:45.360 He was at a deal and he says, Well, you do y'all because I had just come into office, he said, Well, do y'all have term limits? 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:48.320 And uh I said, No, we don't have term limits. 00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:50.159 And he said, Great. 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:57.440 He said, term limits are, and I I know different people are on different sides of this thing, but I'll give you the reason why. 00:35:57.599 --> 00:36:08.000 He said, term limits are horrible because you get a good, you get it takes a while to get in the position, learn the position, learn the decision making. 00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:11.199 And about that time, term limits kick in, you know. 00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:14.159 And so, you know, the ultimate term limit is the vote. 00:36:14.320 --> 00:36:19.519 That's always been uh, you know, people can boat you out if you really start making a mess of things. 00:36:19.679 --> 00:36:35.360 Um, but the fact we don't have term limits has let counsel be a lot longer and slower transition, the natural movement out, kind of like even my scenario where I graduated my last daughter and you know, and got some grandkids now. 00:36:35.519 --> 00:36:37.920 I mean, that's kind of part of the reason for this transition. 00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:40.480 It wasn't because you had to have a term limit. 00:36:40.559 --> 00:36:46.639

You can look just to our south where they have term limits, and the turnover in council just makes it a political mess. 00:36:46.800 --> 00:36:54.480 You know, we have never in Sanger had that type of you know, you can even go to smaller towns and look at them. 00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:58.960 And we have not really had that kind of political mess in Sanger. 00:36:59.039 --> 00:37:00.559 And so we're fortunate. 00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:07.199 I feel blessed having been on council during these years, to not have to deal with a lot of that. 00:37:07.360 --> 00:37:16.000 Um, I think part of it is because we're able to have this longer, longer tenured running relational interaction with councils. 00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:33.039 So anyway, so I to all that to say, I think if we continue the long-running, the slow transition process where people ebb in and out uh naturally of their own, either the vote or their own fruition, um, you know, that that's served the city really well. 00:37:33.280 --> 00:37:33.599 Yeah. 00:37:33.760 --> 00:37:34.079 Yeah. 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:36.000 Gary, anything to add? 00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:42.400 No, I I'm with you, and I'm torn on term limits as well. 00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:49.679 And you know, usually usually it's uh somebody that's been there a long time that and they want them out. 00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:52.000 That's when they start talking about term limits. 00:37:52.320 --> 00:38:02.400 But uh it it takes a couple budget cycles, uh a couple of terms on council to really start feeling like you're contributing. 00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:12.239 And and uh so I I always challenge people when when uh out there is for them to get involved. 00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:27.920 If if if you're not gonna get involved, um you know a lot of people have opinions and they like to voice those opinions, but as I tell my started with my kids, it's with my Marines as well, and it's with everyone else. 00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:31.519 If uh uh give me some recommendations. 00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:38.320 I mean it's easy to set back and Monday morning quarterback things and criticize things, but uh what would you have done differently? 00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:40.639 Give me some recommendations, and you know what? 00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:42.559 They may be great recommendations. 00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:44.239 I wish I and I'll tell them that. 00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:48.880 And I'll and if we go back and and implement it, I'll give them credit. 00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:50.800 I think that's how you get people involved. 00:38:50.960 --> 00:38:53.519 Otherwise, you're just complaining. 00:38:53.760 --> 00:38:57.519 And and uh just always taking that stance. 00:38:57.599 --> 00:39:04.880 And so I would really, really want to promote counsel and and get people really involved in just the civics of it. 00:39:05.039 --> 00:39:13.199 Uh, I think as as a small town, you had people that were willing to serve, and everybody was good with it, and they could go on about their daily daily routine. 00:39:13.440 --> 00:39:14.800 Well, that's changing. 00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:29.119 And there there probably will be turnover and and I don't I think the days of someone coming here and staying on for six, eight, ten terms, uh th those may be over. 00:39:29.440 --> 00:39:36.159 And and as as our population grows, there's gonna be people wanting to get involved, there's gonna be issues that get people excited. 00:39:36.559 --> 00:39:45.039 But I I want people to understand how important it is to elect good council members because their vote is what matters. 00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:46.880 And come see how they vote. 00:39:47.039 --> 00:39:55.199 Come you know, we we try to be transparent to uh uh uh where you don't just have to come physically to a council meeting. 00:39:55.280 --> 00:40:01.119 We we record those so people can see and stay in touch with what's going on. 00:40:01.280 --> 00:40:08.320 And I think that's gonna be more and and more important as as we go on, as growth comes, big developments come. 00:40:08.559 --> 00:40:12.960 Um people are gonna find out about it and and want to get involved. 00:40:13.039 --> 00:40:20.559 And and I don't know what it takes to get people involved, but I'm I'm gonna be out there encouraging them to uh maybe come to a council meeting, maybe watch it online. 00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:26.320 Hey, there's some issues coming up, and you should probably you should see how they impact you. 00:40:27.679 --> 00:40:28.480 Should be aware. 00:40:28.639 --> 00:40:38.559 Yeah, I know um because we've we've had this, I've I was asked this question one time, you know, about hey, why didn't you why didn't you bring this to all of us and the general public? 00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:56.400 And uh I believe it was Commissioner Williams at the time that that uh kind of bailed me out and said, look, you know, if we if we if the city manager or anybody on the city staff had to bring every decision that needed to be made in the city to the general public, we would never get anything done. 00:40:56.480 --> 00:41:04.719 That's why you elect these officials to hear you and to work on your behalf to on these these items. 00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:10.880 Um and it was a very similar sentiment to both of you, which is um get good people, right? 00:41:10.960 --> 00:41:15.519 Get good people, be transparent, listen, and that's how you move things forward. 00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:16.480 So yeah. 00:41:16.800 --> 00:41:18.159 So future. 00:41:18.320 --> 00:41:22.639 Uh Gary, as you prepare to take office, what are what are your first major priorities? 00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:24.239 What are you gonna tackle? 00:41:25.840 --> 00:41:29.599 Well, uh I don't want to commit to anything right now. 00:41:29.679 --> 00:41:41.599 I think there's still some unfinished business uh uh with uh some some property the city owns, with some of our major muscle movements, you know, the the electrical grid. 00:41:42.000 -->

00:42:09.280 But uh I have several ideas, things, and uh before I and and let me preface it by saying this uh the military background, any time that you uh would take command or be in charge of something, it was just uh common practice to to put those out there, but to address the folks that are in your charge or under your leadership. 00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:16.159 And um we call that a command philosophy, and and and I intend to do that first. 00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:32.320 There's just a lot of uh time that's lost, efficiency lost when there's a a transition in leadership where everybody's wondering what's the new guy like or the new gal like? 00:42:32.480 --> 00:42:33.519 What what are they thinking? 00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:34.800 How are they gonna do business? 00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:38.639 And it's just much easier to just address that head on. 00:42:39.360 --> 00:42:50.159 Here's my vision, here's the way I want to do business, here's what I see uh the city doing, here are my priorities and questions, and all right, let's get to work and go. 00:42:50.320 --> 00:42:52.320 Well, they may not like it, but you know what? 00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:57.039 Everyone's on the same sheet of music now, and I think that goes a long way. 00:42:57.360 --> 00:43:12.880 But before I would ever do that, I think it's very important that Thomas and I get together and and uh uh we may have several of the same priorities, and um what may be lower after talking to him may move up. 00:43:13.039 --> 00:43:20.159 And and so uh not to dodge the question, that is coming, but not right here, right now. 00:43:20.719 --> 00:43:21.519 Understood. 00:43:21.760 --> 00:43:22.159 All right. 00:43:23.199 --> 00:43:37.679 So would you imagine the city 10 years from now, knowing that uh that stepping into this role, um, you know, uh you're again continuing to shape where we where where we're headed, what do you hope it looks like and uh maybe feels like? 00:43:38.239 --> 00:43:53.199 Well, I I think uh 10 years from now, this place is going to look even drastically uh more different than in 2010 when I came on council to today. 00:43:53.360 --> 00:43:54.239 It's changed a lot. 00:43:54.400 --> 00:43:58.960 If you had a snapshot of 2010 and now 2026, huge changes. 00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:26.480 from now and 36 you wouldn't I don't think you're going to be able to recognize it unless what we did with the the the 2040 plan where we we and citizens input uh wanted pods and um I think where the grocery store is and and that commercial district is its own pod. 00:44:26.800 --> 00:44:52.239 But I think it's very important that the downtown maintain its character and that pod it's still the old town feel because I think that is is is going to be a a nice change because you can you can go to Denton and and see all the major retail change and you can go now across to the west side of of Sanger and you can see the same thing. 00:44:52.480 --> 00:45:08.480 But to calm downtown and and the character I think that we really need to protect the the the downtown pod in its character because I think that is is what is the lifeblood in my mind. 00:45:08.639 --> 00:45:29.679 It may not be the economic engine that the other side is but it's where the people can relax and still feel like they're at home in a small town and this is still a people business uh whether it's whether in the private sector, the public sector, the military, it is still a people business. 00:45:30.239 --> 00:45:39.679 So to either of you what emerging challenges economic, environmental or social do you believe that the city needs to prepare for now to avoid problems in the future? 00:45:40.079 --> 00:45:47.440 Yeah I can take that briefly you know I think one of our largest challenges as a city is we live within a framework. 00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:55.599 We have to operate within a framework, a legislative framework and that has been changing over the years. 00:45:56.159 --> 00:46:00.320 I think our legislature I hope I think believes in local control. 00:46:00.480 --> 00:46:23.440 I know they are uh interested in controlling Texas compared to the federal government um you know uh telling them how they ought to operate and I think as a city we feel like we're the closest to the constituent because they're our city residents that we actually share neighborhood with and and uh their neighbors next door literally so it's very close to home. 00:46:23.599 --> 00:46:36.239 So we do have to live within that framework though that legislative framework's changing and how we can manage um our revenue streams and the things we have to do to provide public goods. 00:46:36.559 --> 00:46:47.679 I think a lot of people kind of forget you know we're electric, water, wastewater police, fire, all those things we don't all go uh build the road right in front of our house. 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:54.000 Um kind of on the federal level we don't all buy an army tank to defend our to defend our property, right? 00:46:54.079 --> 00:46:57.360 We we pay the federal government some taxes to do defense. 00:46:57.519 --> 00:47:01.840 We pay the state government to do some things at the state level that even the city can't do. 00:47:02.079 --> 00:47:13.039 And you know we pay some local property taxes to do things like road and water and electric and police and fire locally that the state honestly doesn't really want to want to be doing. 00:47:13.280 --> 00:47:25.280 So I think we that's a interesting balancing act going forward because of the legislative arena and uh it you know it's something to navigate and it will be a challenge going forward. 00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:44.400 Yeah it can be sometimes we we talk about that uh with the state in in my business on our end um administrators do do talk at times about the state government and local control that at times it appears that the local control they want to stop at the state level right you know it's local control to a point. 00:47:44.639 -->

00:47:44.800 Right. 00:47:44.960 --> 00:48:33.519 Yeah absolutely so to to either of you what role do you see as uh community engagement playing in shaping the next era of local government because we know over the past 16 years even the way we communicate uh our transparency uh all of these things have changed dynamically because the the world has changed dynamically um so how how do you see that um shaping government in the future well uh you know right now we're we're talking about the local level and and I'm a firm believer you can get the most done in in the least amount of time at the local level but uh as as Thomas just mentioned uh the local level is the lowest level of government there are things that happen at the federal level that impact the states that inevitably and impact us. 00:48:34.079 --> 00:50:03.760 So when you know I'm encouraging uh uh local citizens to get involved in local politics and elections but it may be even more important to get involved at the state level because uh uh I think a lot of the the economic side in and how and as Thomas just said um uh we have to operate under a set of rules and right now the rules that we uh generate revenue is is property taxes and there was uh quite a bit of discussion at the previous legislature and I know it's gonna be up again and it's a hot button um uh I think most of us would like to see lower property taxes but uh I want to see what the alternative the replacement that is extremely important uh I mean I'm one of those that raise my hand and say yeah I want lower property taxes everyone does but if you d abolish it do away with it what what's the alternative and sometimes the alternative could be much worse than what you have now so um before take a position on that uh I'd like to see what the replacement is and that but that does put the city in some some uh uh uh precarious situations if we do not have uh a a stream of revenue I mean there I'm I'm confident there's gonna be some alternative plans. 00:50:03.920 --> 00:50:08.880 I just haven't seen them and uh don't have an opinion until I do see them. 00:50:09.599 --> 00:50:20.719 On community engagement, you know, we all know that's changed dramatically because of social media and everything along those lines. 00:50:21.039 --> 00:50:28.159 You know back to a statement made earlier that didn't relate to social media but did relate to engagement. 00:50:37.519 --> 00:50:42.400 And I think people hopefully should step back from that a little bit. 00:50:42.480 --> 00:51:01.920 We're trying to put forward a you know we're not a perfect city and we're we're gonna make some mistakes or we're not gonna do things exactly like everybody in the city thinks they ought to be done but we're all trying to put forward a positive um statement and a positive communication about our community and about Sanger. 00:51:02.079 --> 00:51:07.760 And so because I tell my kids you know whatever you post on social media, it's there for forever. 00:51:07.920 --> 00:51:39.119 You know, from our city standpoint we've tried to be proactive putting out the positive things, the proactive things we're doing as a city it'd be great if the citizens kind of those that want to chime in would come alongside us and realize that everything that's said out there, when people are looking well do I want to go to Sanger or not and they're they're scrolling through various social medias and you know sometimes you know people will say things on social media they'd never tell you to your to your face. 00:51:39.760 --> 00:52:52.880 Absolutely yeah absolutely and so so I think it constructive criticism we're all open for that because we know we're not perfect but just you know to realize there's a bigger vision out there for Sanger and that each individual person at the citizen level, somebody out in the ETJ, it really doesn't, you know, we're a community 76266 I mean there's a technical city boundary but we're all part of you know our bigger community here in Sanger even if we're not in the city limits and how we communicate that and how we put forth our town to those that would look in from businesses for economic development, future residents that want to come here I think we try to engage positively but it'd be great if everybody kind of rethought kind of like I've tried to teach my kids rethink you know how you're posting or what you're what you're doing out there because it affects how you know my kids it'll affect how they're perceived at job interviews and uh it's affected how our city is perceived by those who may want to come here whether that's business or uh residences that are coming so I just hope that engagement can stay as constructive as possible. 00:52:53.039 --> 00:52:53.280 Right. 00:52:53.440 --> 00:52:55.199 And that's that's what I would encourage. 00:52:55.519 --> 00:52:55.679 Right. 00:52:55.840 --> 00:54:10.559 And that that's a good you uh all of those things it's interesting that you talk about how those things impact and have ripple effects uh and talk to the you when we talk about ripple effects a little bit what do you hope that your legacy will be not not just policy but really in the spirit of the community you know we used the word community earlier and um thinking about that I just hope the community views my tenure as the kind of servant leadership that it was really intended to be despite any differences somebody might have had with regard to you know directions we took or you know stances we took as a city but I I just hope they view that time as genuine uh motivated correctly we know um hopefully well I've put forward a place where there's optionality coming into my tenure we didn't have that optionality it was just we needed to kind of you know make some slow you know flywheel type of headway and now we're at a point where I hope we can be more proactive we've already started to be because of where we sit growth is coming you know it's kind of already here but it's

going to be coming hard and fast. 00:54:10.719 --> 00:54:53.840 I think we're prepared for that growth but it will always have challenges uh John and I have talked in the past it's a just in time how do you plan far enough out so that whatever resource or whatever you know you're putting in place lands just in time and so I I think that type of planning is really important and I hope the legacy that we built to give us optionality to plan like that a couple of years out to buy a fire truck or a transformer the things that are now supply chain is taking two and three years to get you know you would think well why didn't the city go buy this sooner well we did buy it sooner we bought it two or three years ago and it's just now showing up so there's a lot of those challenges. 00:54:54.000 --> 00:55:11.519 I think the optionality I hope people remember servant leadership, the setting up where we have optionality with our decision making and that um you know now we can plan for the growth and we know unforeseen things will pop up even with the best planning. 00:55:11.920 --> 00:55:21.280 And so I think um the city's set for those unforeseen things because we have some flexibility now that um I don't really feel like we had early on. 00:55:21.360 --> 00:55:37.920 So Gary when your time in office eventually comes to a close thinking about this moment in time what impact do you hope people will remember first well I I hope they remember uh that that I set a positive example. 00:55:38.079 --> 00:56:55.360 I I believe that's first and foremost and and then um uh had the same focus and the the driving focus that I believe Thomas had where truly it it's not about personal gain it's about putting the city and the citizens first and are we simply better when I leave than when I took over and if if that's the case then you know what gladly pass the torch and support the next person in line but uh who knows that could be I say one term it I mean it could be a half a term it it could it it it could be a term uh it could be two terms but you know uh I'm not getting any younger and been doing this a long time and uh I I tell you I I'd be remiss if I if I didn't uh say some some some things about my time uh serving with Thomas and uh it takes a lot of time and and effort to and time away from the family when you'd love to just go home and have dinner with the family but you gotta take calls you got to do different things. 00:56:56.239 --> 00:56:56.960 And that's fine. 00:56:57.039 --> 00:56:58.719 That's that's part of the job. 00:56:59.039 --> 00:57:07.920 But if if as a council member I ever thought that it was taking up too much of my time I saw the amount of time that Thomas put in behind the scenes. 00:57:08.480 --> 00:57:15.039 And so just showing up for council meetings is yeah that's expected. 00:57:15.199 --> 00:57:33.920 There's some preparation that's expected but the amount of phone calls that that he you know would would would contact me or we would discuss things he had many meetings and I believe it it was a daily part of his daily routine to do something for the city. 00:57:34.000 --> 00:57:49.199 So it wasn't just the two meetings a month and the amount of time uh that he put in to focus on this city and the citizens I've always admired that and that's why I've I've always been a big supporter. 00:57:49.519 --> 00:58:18.320 He was taking his uh we had some common like I said we didn't agree on everything but there was some con we had a common vision and uh he stayed focused and worked so many things that that his job or his position required and um uh I think it was made a job as a councilman easier uh having the information and having those discussions and all the time and effort that he put into it. 00:58:18.480 --> 00:58:28.320 So I just can't reiterate enough how much time and effort that Thomas put in over 16 years just on council and the years of service before that. 00:58:28.559 --> 00:58:38.559 So Thomas I I appreciate everything you've done and the example that you set and uh I'm sure you and I'll be talking very very soon about quite a few things. 00:58:38.960 --> 00:58:41.199 Well thank you for the kind words I appreciate it. 00:58:41.519 --> 00:59:01.360 So as we wrap up today's conversation I just want to take a moment to acknowledge what we've heard because it's not just a story of leadership it's a story of community as we've talked about numerous times during the past hours and 16 years from service from both of you at this point, you know, two very different personalities working alongside each other parallel towards common goals is huge. 00:59:01.519 --> 00:59:05.920 And it reflects a very deep belief in the in the people who call this place home. 00:59:06.159 --> 01:00:03.280 And so we've talked a lot about accomplished accomplishments that have shaped the city challenges that have tested our resilience uh the shared visions for what comes next but I think the thread running through all of it is again community neighbors families volunteers teachers businesses owners the the first responders the people who show up speak up and lift each other up so uh to you Thomas thank you for your years of dedication and your steady leadership uh Gary thank you for stepping forward with optimism and humility and a commitment to collaboration in the future and to everyone listening this is your city this is your story this is your future uh and leadership may transition but the heartbeat of this community will remain constant so thank you for joining us today here's honoring the past embracing the future building together uh so again thank you both thank you and thank you for listening in to what's going on in our small little North Texas town