Farewell

Dave Shuck ended his tenure as Providence Village mayor Tuesday night.

Shuck told the Town Council that he was moving to Denton and that the meeting was his last as mayor. He said during a break in a meeting that he wanted to live in Denton so he could be closer to where his children go to school, among other reasons.

“It’s time to hand the gavel over,” he said during the break.

Shuck has been mayor since May 2014.

The announcement came as no surprise for the council and others attending the meeting. During the meeting’s open forum, Providence Village resident Don Fisher thanked Shuck for his work for the town.

“It’s been an honor to be your friend,” he said.

Shuck didn’t formally resign his position and the council doesn’t have to have an agenda item at an upcoming meeting to decide the fate of his seat, said Town Administrator Brian Roberson.

Mayor Pro-Tem Michael Jordan (Place 4) will take over the duties of mayor, although he will still sit in the Place 4 council member and mayor pro-tem seats, Shuck said. The mayoral position will be on the May ballot.

But Roberson said Shuck is not entirely released from having any mayoral duties, as there is a law that allows him to come back and attend an upcoming meeting so there could be a quorum.

Roberson provided information concerning the mayor from Article XVI, section 17 of the Texas Constitution, which states, “All officers within this State shall continue to perform the duties of their offices until their successors shall be duly qualified.”

Section 3.06 of Providence Village’s charter requires that the position of mayor be filled by election at the next regular town election.

“Therefore, since a successor can't be qualified until after the May elections, he can continue to perform the duties,” Roberson said. “However, in the mayor's absence, the mayor pro-tem will fulfill the duties of the mayor. All other positions on the council must be filled by appointment within 30 days of the vacancy.”

Shuck works for BNSF Railroad in Fort Worth, so his daily commute will be cut in half by moving to Denton. His children attend Denton High School and McMath Middle School, so there’s that commute to take into account, too. His family takes priority and he wants to give back more time to them.

“It’s really the ultimate thing,” Shuck said. He said the council has a cohesive vision and will continue to head in the same direction.

During remarks to the council, Shuck thanked the council and town staff and discussed the beginning of the town and the many accomplishments it has made, such as lowering taxes, setting up a home rule charter and settling its legal dispute for water and sewer service rights.

“When I pause to look at how much happened in such a compressed period of time, it’s pretty staggering what we’ve been able to accomplish and makes me wonder what’s ahead,” he said. “With all the change out here, it’s unbridled. I’m proud for what we have accomplished and proud of where we are today.”

Providence Village incorporated in 2010, and Shuck became emotional as he mentioned how divine providence occurred in the town’s short history.

“The timing always seemed to hook up right for what we needed to achieve,” Shuck said.

He said he looks forward to seeing what happens in the town, which he said is poised to continue to grow as a leader in northeast Denton County.

“I’ll continue to be the biggest fan,” he said, becoming emotional and pausing. “God bless y’all. Thank you being such a part of this chapter of my life.”

He received applause and hugged council members. The council gave him a parting gift.

Roberson said Shuck exceeded expectations and that he did a “tremendous” job.

“There’s some things you were able to achieve — I didn’t see how we were going to get there,” said Roberson, who is a former mayor of the town (2010-2014).

Shuck and the council enjoyed cake and took a break before moving into an executive session.

In other business, the council appointed Kelly Nelson to a first alternate position with the Planning and Zoning Commission and adopted an ordinance that supplements the charter of the P&Z Commission and its regulations, which now allows five members and three alternate positions. The council took no action on appointment of additional members to the Board of Adjustments and will take up the item at its next meeting.

After an executive session, the council took no action on boundary and ETJ matters of Providence Village that included including water and sewer rights. The council also took no action on an interlocal cooperation agreement for law enforcement with the Denton County Sheriff’s Office.