05/12/2026
As my time serving as Mayor of Taylor comes to a close, I want to take a moment to simply say thank you.
These last 9 years have been some of the most rewarding, challenging, stressful, and meaningful years of my life. Serving this community has never been about politics for me — it has always been about trying to leave Taylor better than we found it for future generations.
First and foremost, thank you to my wife Marie. Thank you for your patience, support, sacrifices, and for standing beside me through every late night, difficult meeting, phone call, and stressful situation. Public service affects the entire family, not just the person elected, and I could not have done this without you.
To my Mom — thank you for always pushing me and keeping me grounded. I know it was hard on you at times during this journey, but your strength helped shape who I am today.
To Koby, Zoey and Freya thank you so much for allowing me to be apart of your family.
To my daughters and my entire family — the Hernandez, Gonzales, Gonzalez, Chavana, and Ariola families — thank you for your love and support throughout this journey.
To my friends, especially the “Dream Team,” thank you for always being there during both the victories and the difficult moments.
Public service is often a thankless job. People see the meetings and headlines, but they rarely see the sacrifices, the stress, the personal attacks, or the difficult decisions made behind closed doors. Despite that, I am incredibly proud of the work we accomplished together, especially since 2024.
Some of the projects and initiatives I am most proud of include:
Objective Street Condition Analysis Program
- New Public Works Building
- Fire Station No. 2 Renovation
- MLK Sidewalk Project
- Airport Fuel Farm Project
- Wellness & Recreation Center Study
- Putt-Putt Golf Project
- Completing the Murphy Park Pool
- Animal Shelter improvements
- Memorial Track resurfacing
- Water Supply Study
Development of long-term Master Plans for our future including:
* Comprehensive Plan
* Land Development Code (LDC) improvements
* Water & Wastewater Master Plans
* Transportation Planning
* Drainage Planning
* Sidewalk & Connectivity Planning
* Parks & Recreation Planning
* Departmental CIP Master Planning
These efforts were about preparing Taylor not just for today, but for the next 20-30 years of growth and opportunity.
I especially want to thank our incredible city workers. You are the backbone of this city. Whether working in extreme heat, storms, emergencies, or behind the scenes in offices and facilities, your dedication often goes unnoticed by the public, but it never went unnoticed by me.
To our Department Heads — I truly believe this is the best leadership team this city has ever had. Thank you for your professionalism, honesty, and willingness to work through difficult challenges together.
A special thank you to LaShon, Tyler, and Brian for your leadership and support during major transitions and growth.
Brian especially helped guide the city during significant council changes and challenging moments.
Thank you to Rocio and Lucy for everything you did behind the scenes to keep things moving.
And finally, thank you to every member of the City Council I served with over the years. Every council member brought different strengths, perspectives, and qualifications to the table. While we did not always agree, I know how difficult this job can be and how much criticism elected officials endure personally. Serving your community is never easy, and I appreciate everyone who stepped forward to serve.
Taylor’s future is bright. We are no longer simply reacting to growth — we are planning for it. The groundwork has been laid for future councils, staff, businesses, and citizens to continue building something special here.
Thank you again for trusting me to serve as your Mayor for the last 2 years and your councilman for the last 9 years. It has truly been the honor of a lifetime.
God Bless Taylor and God Bless Texas.
