District 1 Council Member David Gibbons read the following resignation letter to the other council members and Mayor Scott LeMay at the Tuesday, Sept. 5, Garland City Council meeting.
He will be missed by the mayor, remaining council members, city staff, his District 1 constituents and the remainder of the city of Garland residents.
I am excited to announce that I have been selected as the next Executive Director of the Garland Housing Finance Corporation effective Oct. 1, 2020.
Sadly, this new employment opportunity for me creates an incompatibility of the office that prohibits a person from simultaneously holding a public office and an incompatible position of public employment. Therefore,
I will no longer be eligible to serve as a council member.
Accordingly, I will be submitting my resignation as the District 1 Representative to the Garland City Council effective Sept. 30, 2020.
It has been my distinct honor to serve with the members of this council. I cherish the many special friendships and relationships I have developed not only in serving with this very special group of current council members but also former Mayor Lori Dodson and former Council Members Anita Goebel, Stephen Stanley and B. J. Williams.
I would also like to take a moment to recognize, thank and pay tribute to the efforts of our City Manager, Bryan Bradford and our extraordinary city staff. The citizens of Garland are extremely fortunate to have a group of more than 2,000 unbelievably talented and dedicated individuals serving the daily needs of our city.
I am so very thankful that I have been part of this team of dedicated individuals for the past 4+ years who have consistently worked to improve our city. During this time, we have seen:
- Successful completion of a City Charter review and adoption of needed changes.
- Adoption of a comprehensive, 10-year plan to address our street, alley and sidewalk needs and increased annual funding by more than 300%.
- The completion—after years of unproductive discussion and delays—of Garland’s first dog park.
- Adoption of a comprehensive sign ordinance that complies with state and federal law and -limits both current and future sign pollution in our city.
- Creation of both a home improvement grant program and a commercial façade improvement grant program.
- Resolution of the draconian and unfair financial policy of the North Texas Municipal Water District that charged the citizens of Garland millions of dollars each year for water that was not used.
- Approval of a $423 million bond package, of which many of the initiatives approved by the citizens are already underway.
- Plus numerous other new programs, services and other operational improvements to benefit our citizens.
- While I am deeply saddened that I must resign as the District 1 Representative to the Garland City Council, I am excited to begin this new role with GHFC. I am confident the GHFC organization and the city can forge new partnership opportunities in the development—and equally important—the redevelopment of sustainable, affordable housing in Garland.
It has been my great honor to serve the citizens of Garland, particularly those who reside in District 1, since May 2016. I remain humbled by the support of so many residents of our great city.
I look forward to even greater success for our city and our citizens as I move forward in this new journey.