The Mayors Role

With a clear and accurate understanding of the role of City Mayor under our home‑rule charter, and backed by tried‑and‑tested leadership experience, I am prepared to serve you as your next Mayor.

This is a campaign illustration of what our community could experience in the future.

With a quarterly, plain‑language update on infrastructure work — including sewer, water, streets, drainage, and electric‑utility coordination — highlighting what was completed this quarter, what is in progress, and how funds are being used, including rate‑funded water projects.

Plan: Work through the City Council to the City Manager to ensure information is organized, accessible, and easy for residents to understand.

A modern, accessible space where decisions are made in the open.

AI generated Image from current Council picture

When projects or decisions like this come forward, I believe it’s important that the public can clearly see:

What is being proposed
What information is available
How discussions take place and how decisions are reached

In our council–manager form of government, those discussions are meant to happen openly, in a setting the public can follow.

My approach has been to stay actively engaged as a citizen—attending meetings, reviewing publicly available information, and following agenda items—while asking questions when something isn’t clear.

That same approach is how I will continue to serve in the Mayor’s role: supporting a process that is open, informed, and clearly communicated so residents can follow it.

Mayor Role — Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the Mayor run the city?

No. Gatesville operates under a Council–Manager form of government. The City Manager handles daily operations and supervises employees. The Mayor provides leadership and presides over City Council meetings.

Q: Can the Mayor hire or fire city employees?

No. Personnel authority rests with the City Manager. The Charter clearly separates policy leadership from administrative management.

Q: What is the Mayor’s real responsibility?

The Mayors Role

With a clear and accurate understanding of the role of City Mayor under our home‑rule charter, and backed by tried‑and‑tested leadership experience, I am prepared to serve you as your next Mayor.

This is a campaign illustration of what our community could experience in the future.

With a quarterly, plain‑language update on infrastructure work — including sewer, water, streets, drainage, and electric‑utility coordination — highlighting what was completed this quarter, what is in progress, and how funds are being used, including rate‑funded water projects.

Plan: Work through the City Council to the City Manager to ensure information is organized, accessible, and easy for residents to understand.

A modern, accessible space where decisions are made in the open.

When projects or decisions like this come forward, I believe it’s important that the public can clearly see:

What is being proposed

What information is available

How discussions take place and how decisions are reached

In our council–manager form of government, those discussions are meant to happen openly, in a setting the public can follow.

My approach has been to stay actively engaged as a citizen—attending meetings, reviewing publicly available information, and following agenda items—while asking questions when something isn’t clear.

That same approach is how I will continue to serve in the Mayor’s role: supporting a process that is open, informed, and clearly communicated so residents can follow it.

Mayor Role — Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the Mayor run the city?

No. Gatesville operates under a Council–Manager form of government. The City Manager handles daily operations and supervises employees. The Mayor provides leadership and presides over City Council meetings.

Q: Can the Mayor hire or fire city employees?

No. Personnel authority rests with the City Manager. The Charter clearly separates policy leadership from administrative management.

Q: What is the Mayor’s real responsibility?

The Mayor’s responsibility is to:

Maintain order and fairness in Council meetings

Help the Council work collaboratively

Represent the community with professionalism

Ensure governance stays transparent and accountable

Leadership is about setting standards and keeping the city focused on long-term success.

Q: Can the Mayor make decisions alone?

No. All policy decisions require a vote of the City Council. The Mayor votes only in the event of a tie.

Q: What laws govern city officials?

All city officials must comply with:

The Gatesville Home Rule Charter

Texas Open Meetings Act

Texas Public Information Act

State ethics and conflict-of-interest laws

In Gatesville, our elected officials are bound by state law, ethics statutes, and our City Charter — laws that are not mere guidelines, but clear obligations. Leo Corona believes that following them is not optional; it is foundational to responsible leadership, accountability, and good government.