What is a full-time mayor? And why does Garland, at this moment in its history, need one for ALL its citizens?

I plan to turn the Mayor's office and conference room on the 4th floor of Garland City Hall into a place where ALL citizens are mobilized and appreciated.

Garland needs a full-time mayor, and as I've stated, I plan to be one.

Garland's needs are too great to devote any less than everything I've got to the task.

The issue is particularly important since we are engaged in a special mayoral campaign for a one-year term, after our current mayor's resignation halfway through his two-year term. The new mayor must be able to hit the ground running and be able to devote full time to the task of restoring respect, integrity, and trust in our city government among ALL our citizens. 

So what does being a full-time mayor really mean to me? In my recent presentation at the Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum, I referred to this pledge as my promise to the people of Garland.

Citizens look at this issue differently, and in Garland's history, its various mayors have had varying takes on this. Some have chosen to be full time; other have preferred to be part time. Often the part-timers end up working full-time hours and wondering how in the world that type of schedule happened.

The issue is NOT trying to do Garland City Manager Bryan Bradford's job for him. Bryan is a valuable asset to our city. He's worth every penny the city pays him. The city's charter makes it clear that he alone—and not individual members of the council—manages the city's employees and operations with the guidance of City Council.

I respect our city-manager form of government. I want to help Bryan do an exceptional professional job without interference from any of the nine members of the council that might have a personal agenda. The mayor's job is not to micromanage him or other city employees.

The real issue is the mayor's availability and dedication to the task. With the vast needs pressing down on Garland, it will take all hands on deck and a big investment of time to get us on a straighter path going forward. The mayor, council, and city administration all pulling together and giving it their best is what's needed at this crucial juncture.

A full-time mayor is one who is available to the citizens of Garland and dedicated to envisioning with them and Council the bigger picture of what will make this a better city for ALL.

The Mayor's office will be a place for ALL citizens.

Regardless how many hours, days, or weeks the mayor works, the Mayor of Garland receives only a pittance of a "salary", mostly to compensate the personal out-of-pocket expenses associated with the job.

The job is, for all practical purposes and as it should be, an elected position with only minor compensation.

So the issue is not money. A full-time mayor is paid the same as a part-time mayor. 

And by the way, any extra money over and above the actual expenses for "being mayor", I plan to donate to worthy causes that benefit Garland.

Most importantly, the city provides the mayor with a large and beautiful office on the fourth floor of City Hall and a very nice conference room next door.

Because the mayor represents ALL the citizens of Garland, I envision turning the mayor's office and conference room into the place where ALL Garland citizens feel welcome, feel respected, feel heard, and feel assured that their opinions matter.

A "Mayor's Night In" could be a good practice to continue, but I foresee a broader means of staying in touch with the pulse of Garland's citizens.

As a part of my campaign platform, I have stated clearly and openly my intention to immediately after the election appoint at least eight mayoral citizen task forces to focus on major lingering issues that hold us back from being the kind of community ALL of our citizens want us to be.

I don't have all the answers to all the problems we face, but I know people who do: OUR CITIZENS. I do know, however, how to lead both small and large groups and how to listen—truly listen—to people in those groups. (For decades Kay and I jointly and separately led support groups on numerous critical life issues and because of her work with LifeWay traveled the U.S. setting up programs to help train church leaders how to develop this ministry. That skill transfers easily.)

I envision those task forces meeting in the mayor's conference room or maybe even the actual office—symbolizing that citizens do matter and that their thoughts, ideas, and opinions are respected and sought.

All citizens will be welcome in the Mayor's office.

I absolutely don't want Garland to be "another Plano" or "another Frisco". I want Garland to be the best Garland can be in its own unique and special way. Copycatting has no place in our city. And I know from talking with them that our citizens want this, too. That's why I will try "full-time" to make sure our citizens know how much they are appreciated and welcome in the municipal processes.

Being a full-time mayor also means going out anywhere and everywhere Kay and/or I can possibly go to be with our Garland citizens. Anybody who knows us and/or has followed our Facebook pages for years knows we don't shy away from involvement with the public but instead thoroughly enjoy attending Garland events and meeting with Garland people. Our involvement is not "just a campaign thing" but a regular part of our lifestyle in the past, is now, and will be in the future. We find the great diversity within our community to be invigorating and truly exciting—something we ALL need to celebrate. We are honored when our friends tag us as "Mr. and Mrs. Garland". They do that because they know of our deep and abiding love for the city.

One of the aspects of this campaign that Kay and I have relished in is going door-to-door to visit with individual citizens. We wish we could knock on every door in Garland and hear the hearts of each person, which they pour out to us unbidden, but for obvious reasons we are having to rely on those who know us best and work in our campaign to represent us to get to those homes we physically can't reach ourselves. Perhaps over time we WILL be able to visit with every citizen of Garland and hear their hearts about our city.

Please continue to invite your friends and neighbors to join us in this citizen-based campaign to reshape Garland to the well-being of this city.

As I've said many times, "Government exists for its citizens, not the citizens for their government." And the people—ALL the people—are its bosses.