The Mayor by Shelbe Blacklock

Oklahoma native Roger Van Horn, spoke about his experiences serving his third term as mayor of Nacogdoches.
The mayor, taking off his eyeglasses, began by telling of the government system that’s in Texas, “I need to tell you this so some of the things I talk about later will make sense,” he said. Emphasizing the strong manager city commission government in Texas, Mayor Van horn said, “The manager is the CEO, the boss of the city.” He told tell how he the system operates similar to a board of directors of a bank and how his commission makes big decisions in the city.
“You need to come to a city commission meeting sometime. If you’re having trouble with sleeping you should come tonight,” jokes the mayor, “It is really going to be boring.”
Mayor Van Horn goes on to tell how he is able to balance being mayor of a city as well as working as a dentist. “I make a living as a dentist, I have for nearly 40 years,” he said joking about the contrast in the way people treat him as a dentist apposed to the way he is treated as mayor. “People aren’t afraid of you, they actually look at you in the eye and talk. It’s a neat contrast,” he said smiling. “The people can talk to you, I like that a lot” said the mayor. He joked about being stopped in Kroger, “Rarely do they want to see you about something they are proud of,” he jokes. “They usually have a problem when they stop you in the produce section.”
He wants people to get involved and get active in the government and community. The mayor also told how the pace of being mayor is very slow. “I hope that the people have confidence in the process” he said hoping that they get something out of it. Unable to stay still the mayor, pacing back and forth, said, “Being a mayor is not about Roger Van Horn. It’s about the process, it’s about thinking more broadly what we can do for our city.”
The mayor, holding his hands in his black blazer, ponders on where he would like to be once he has fulfilled his term as mayor. “You know I am not sure, I don’t know the answer to that question,” he said. While scratching his head, the mayor said he is not sure what he will do but it will have something to do with teaching something in life. He has been offered a job here in Nacogdoches at a local dental clinic as a manager. He is considering it. “I have committed in my mind to five terms if they allow it,” he said. “If they don’t want me I will have to figure out something else to do.”
The mayor said he would be finding some way to serve his city and community. He said the quicker you learn to give a little time to someone who needs something, you find it to be very rewarding.