Pearland mayor plans to retire

Longtime Pearland Mayor Tom Reid has announced that he will not be seeking another term in the May 2020 election.

The retirement of the 94year-old Reid culminates a non-consecutive four-decade run as mayor in which he oversaw a city evolve in size and diversity.

“I love what I do, being mayor, serving the community and making the community something special,” Reid said in a city press release late Monday. “But I think it’s time to now end this chapter and focus more on spending quality time with friends and family.”

Reid worked at Johnson Space Center from 1965-97, where he was part of a team that supervised and managed missions including Gemini and the Apollo and cites his tenure at JPC as instrumental in shaping his vision of looking forward as a city official and representative.

Reid has also served as a planning and zoning commissioner and has been chairman of the Brazoria County Drainage District No. 4 and served as a member of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, an organization which coordinates the planning of mobility and transportation issues in the region. Reid was also influential in establishing the University of Houston campus in Pearland.

After serving as a council member for five years in the 1970s, Reid was first elected mayor of Pearland in 1978 and served until 1990; he was elected again in 1997 and has served ever since.

“Pearland wouldn’t be what it is today without the vision, tenacity and energy of Mayor Reid,” said Pearland City Manager Clay Pearson in a press release. “He set the tone for this great community. The impacts of his legacy will continue to permeate the community forever.”

In a 2017 runoff election, Reid, then 91, handily defeated his 36-year-old opponent, Quentin Wiltz, to hold on to the office as mayor.