Centerville Mayor Ronnie Brand won’t run againAfter 15 years of public service, Brand to bow out

Houston Home Journal (Print Edition) ^ | 09/03/2005 | William John Hagan

[WJHII]

Centerville Mayor Ronnie Brand won’t run again After 15 years of public service, Brand to bow out

A Houston Home Journal Exclusive

By WILLIAM JOHN HAGAN HHJ Staff Writer

In an exclusive interview with The Houston Home Journal, Centerville Mayor Ronnie Brand announced his decision not to seek re-election. After over 15 years of dedicated service to the City of Centerville, first as a councilman and then as mayor, Brand served the people of Centerville through a period of exceptional growth.

During Brand’s tenure, he shepherded the city through a long phase of unprecedented development. The Centerville population more than doubled, new businesses sprouted and grew, and Centerville became an unexpected rival to its metropolitan cousin of Warner Robins. “I plan to center my future activities on my family, the further development of my business, and my charitable works,” Brand said. “I have loved serving the people of Centerville, first as a councilman and then as mayor. Together we have brought the city into the 21st century, and I hope to see all of the remarkable plans that we seeded come to fruition.”

Brand broke the news with the solemn demeanor of a man soon to leave his home for the last time. The mayor expressed his interest in staying involved in city affairs in some capacity, but made it clear that only time would reveal the form of his future contributions to the people of Centerville.

The legacy of Brand’s tenure is his dream of creating a “downtown” Centerville from what was at one time a city without a heart. Soon that dream and all those years of planning will likely provide the soul for Centerville that Brand envisioned when he took office. His plan is now on track with the future extension of Margie Drive, north of Gunn Road, which ends with its intersection at North Houston Lake Boulevard. Brand and Centerville’s City Council created a Downtown Development Authority to manage this dream, which is now the linchpin of Centerville’s future direction.

In addition to acting as mayor – a job which only pays $400 a month – Brand is also a member of the Downtown Development Authority, and has had to serve often as the de-facto city administrator at a time since the full-time position went vacant several months ago. Brand has suggested in private conversations with the HHJ that the time may be right for Centerville to consider a full-time mayor rather than the part-time position that he holds now.

The last months of Mayor Brand’s term were marred by claims made by Councilman Cameron Andrews that Brand’s role as a full-time real estate agent created a conflict of interest with city business. At the time, Andrews said, "He (Brand) needs to make up his mind about whether he wants to be a real estate agent or whether he wants to be the mayor of Centerville. He's involved in business transactions that cause a conflict of interest. I have a problem with that."

Mayor Brand fired back, "I've always tried to disclose it, and that works for you and against you. I'm just going to continue to do what I know is the right thing to do."

The incident raised speculation that Andrews would be running for mayor, but he denies that he would seek the office, and left open the possibility that he may not seek re-election to the City Council.

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