Community health care. Improved housing opportunities.
Zero-tolerance for absentee slumlords. Community policing. Neighborhood
and commercial re-development. The country’s largest transit-oriented
development district.
Any of these on its own would be enough of a rallying cry for an elected
official. But for the Mayor of Irving, Texas, Herbert Gears, all are a
high and constant priority.
An active community resident for more than 25 years, Gears served for
six years on the Irving City Council before being elected to his first
term as Mayor in 2005, a post he was re-elected to in 2008.
Mayor Gears was instrumental in developing a partnership between Dallas
County, Parkland Hospital and Baylor Health Systems to build the
system’s first Community-Oriented Primary Care Clinic, providing medical
care for Irving residents without health insurance.
Mayor Gears worked with the community to secure more than $30 million in
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, helping provide improved
housing for seniors, better dental care for children, and additional
funding for the YMCA, Irving Cares, the Salvation Army, Brighter
Tomorrows, and dozens of other community organizations.
The Mayor’s focused vision – and his mantra of “no limiting beliefs” –
has allowed the city to keep resident’s taxes low, while pursuing
aggressive economic development – and re-development – initiatives. His
willingness to provide creative incentives, infrastructure and services
for targeted big picture developments are allowing the city to see
unprecedented economic growth in every corridor. Strict code
enforcement, a focus on neighborhood vitality, and public safety are
keys to this success as well.
