By Karolyn Gephart
A new position has been created in Pearland City Government. It is ceremonial in nature and honors current Mayor Tom Reid who announced recently he would not be running again for mayor.
As a result of his decision, the new honorary position of Mayor Emeritus has been bestowed on Reid. Council announced the position at the January 14th meeting of the Pearland City Council at City Hall.
Reid’s exemplary service to the community includes being Mayor of Pearland for 39 years, the longest serving mayor in the history of the city. He was elected 13 times.
He was honored for working to sustain the quality growth of Pearland into one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in the state. He is considered a goodwill ambassador as well as a leader on local, national, and international stages.
Mayor Emeritus is an honorary uncompensated position that will be filled by Reid on a voluntary basis following the conclusion of his current term as Mayor of the City. The position will exist for the period of Reid voluntarily serving in such a capacity.
Also honored at the meeting was Derrick Reed by the City Council of the City of Pearland and Brazoria, Harris, and Fort Bend Counties. Reed was recognized and honored for his service and contributions from 2014 to 2019 and serving as Mayor Pro-Tem in 2017. A special resolution is presented to past elected officials for their dedication and service to the city. Reed received his portrait and a plaque.
In other Council news, the 2019 Biennial Community Survey results were shared with Council. A representative of National Research Center Inc (NRC) attended the Council meeting and shared the result highlights with Council.
The City of Pearland entered into an agreement with National Research Center, Inc. (NRC), a leading research and evaluation firm focusing on the information requirements of the public sector and local governments, to administer the City of Pearland biennial Citizen Survey.
NRC staff began the survey process in mid-April 2019 and completed conducting the scientific survey in late October 2019. This is the fifth citizen survey completed within the last 10 years. The first survey was completed during fiscal year 2009.
Upon completion of the survey, NCR analyzed the data and provided a full report of the survey results that included tables and charts and comparisons to the previous surveys. Citizen perception surveys are a valuable tool in gauging general citizen outlook on community and City quality of life, services, and needs.
