A Leader that Pearland Deserves
Terry Gray for Council Position 6 =Pearland, TX sincerely asks for your vote. I feel I have a rich background in the military, and both the private and public sector which makes me the perfect candidate to help guide the city forward.
I have raised a family in this town, and they are now raising their families here. I have watched it grow tremendously over the years and have stayed informed on how things have progressed for Pearland.
I am running for this position to be active in the continuous growth of our beloved community.
As a member of the Pearland Historical Society, I truly appreciate how the past has led us to today and toward a bright future.
My Roots in Pearland
I have been a resident of Pearland since 1957 and attended school when there were just two buildings that housed all students from first to 12th grade who shared a single cafeteria that has since become Killen’s BBQ.
After graduation, I attended college for a year, eventually earning an Associate’s Degree in Management, before accepting employment with AT&T. I served in the Army for three years, including a year in Vietnam before my honorable discharge on July 4, 1967.
After returning stateside, I realized how much I loved this town and became very involved in the town’s activities.
Politcal Involvement
My love of Pearland was shared by many folks during my early adult years, including my parents who fought for the city to remain independent because of fears that Houston would annex our community. My father helped to circulate a petition to help the town become incorporated.
In 1976, Mayor Carlton McComb asked me to serve out the remaining term of a member that was running for a county commissioner position. During two successful years in office, many positive accomplishments occurred, including:
- EMS formed with volunteers and a donated ambulance
- Liberty Park opened
- The first Public Works Director was hired
Elected Office
After my interim term, I was narrowly beaten out for reelection by a slim margin, but ran again in 1980 and served two terms through 1986. During this time, the seeds of growth were planted within our community.
The huge flood of 1979 damaged a lot of homes in low-lying areas. We hired an engineering firm to survey the area. They found that Pearland was so flat that it was like a level pool table, that if raised on one end and a piece of paper placed under its legs, was how flat we are.
We spent a lot of time looking for solutions that were implemented to solve this problem.
Meanwhile, we were outgrowing the old city hall, so we built a police station on Veteran’s and passed a $4 million bond to build our current city hall, a community center, library and started the widening of FM 518 on the east side.
Service with MUD
The town’s west city limits used to extend just past Strickland’s, but further territory was being annexed by the city on Jan. 1, 2013. While serving on MUD #4 (Country Place), I helped to coordinate the activities associated with the annexation.
I have been on a MUD board in Baytown for the past two years. The duties of a MUD director are much like a council person but to a smaller degree. The laws governing them are the same, however.