Sunday, May 5, 2024
Members of the Granbury City Council bid farewell to Mayor Pro Tem Trish Burwell as newly-elected council member Gary “Skip” Overdier was officially sworn in during the regular meeting Dec. 19.
“This has been an incredible journey for me,” Burwell said during the meeting. “I've been in office for six years now. Greg (Corrigan) and I ran together in 2017, and then we both went unopposed in the next election cycle. I have forged some amazing friendships and long-term bonds, and I really feel like we have — as a council member who's been up here — figured out a way to work together to benefit the city. I've appreciated all of you and the folks that I have worked with before, but thank you, Granbury, for trusting me to be in this position for six years.”
Burwell will assume a new role as executive director for the Hood County Senior Center, replacing Jeannette Scott, who will retire in January.
"I will miss you. I'm not going anywhere,” she continued. “I have other things that I will be doing in Granbury with the community, so I will continue to forge forward and work for the community. But I really appreciated being here. Thank you for supporting me.”
City Manager Chris Coffman praised Burwell for playing a vital role in getting the new police station built and for her work on other infrastructure projects in the city.
“All the things that we’ve done for those six years have been high-growth community activity,” Coffman said. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. We are going to miss your logic, and sound approach to the way you handled decisions and your critical thinking process. We can’t thank you enough for serving our community.”
Coffman then presented Burwell with a clock as a token, adding that every time she looks at it, he prays she will remember her time spent on the council as her “happy days.”
Eddie Rodriguez, Place 2 council member, thanked Burwell for being a great example of leadership within the community.
“Just the way you make decisions is unique, and I just appreciate your leadership, your candor and the way you represent yourself in the city,” Rodriguez said.
Greg Corrigan, council member for Place 6, explained that unlike most of the council, he has had the pleasure of knowing Burwell for well over a decade, adding that she has always been someone who looks at life differently.
“She takes a different approach, which has been welcomed by the council and sometimes much needed,” Corrigan said. “We'll miss you. It's been a pleasure working with you up here, and we look forward to what you're doing next.”
Place 3 council member Bruce Wadley said he didn’t know Burwell until he ran for city council. He explained how she also “steered him through” social media.
“Trish has been great," he said. “We've gone to conferences out of town. We've done so much together. She's so stable. I don't show much emotion, and then she can just sit there when I'm getting kind of riled up about something, she's like, ‘Calm down.’ I'm just gonna really, really miss you.”
Steven Vale, Place 5 council member, said he has had the privilege of sitting next to Burwell for the last two years, noting she is a “stalwart” on the council.
"She's just been amazing to work with,” Vale said. “She's provided tremendous leadership, great passion, great knowledge. She really studies everything that comes before us on city council. It's been a joy to work with her. This is not the end of her journey here. I know that she's got other things planned.”
City Attorney Jeremy SoRelle jokingly added that Burwell is the “single council person” who has always listened to him.
“I have watched you go from Reiner to Burwell and been able to personally, outside of this dais, share some of those experiences with you,” SoRelle continued. “I love that for you, and I love that for Jim (Burwell’s husband) and I love the life that you guys have together. I'm so happy for you for that.”
Mayor Jim Jarratt also jokingly commented that Burwell is the “lady who would keep me straight in the back room.”
“Skip, you have very big shoes to fill,” Jarratt added. “We are going to miss you so much.”
As Burwell steps down, Overdier takes her place on the city council for a three-year term.
