Farewell to Mayor Sweet: ‘Rockwall is a better place because of this man’

ROCKWALL, TX (Dec. 16, 2014) Rockwall welcomed its newly appointed mayor Jim Pruitt and new Place 2 council member John Hohenshelt during what turned out to be a fairly emotional council meeting as the council said a final farewell to County Judge-elect David Sweet as the city mayor.

“I want to thank each and every one of you for allowing me to serve on the city council as mayor,” Sweet said. “I want to thank my family for their support. As far as our staff is concerned, Rick [Crowley] is second to none here in Rockwall. You set that tone, and I want to thank you for what you’ve done as our city manager, as well as all of the department heads and staff members. Rockwall is very fortunate and very blessed to have the kind of staff that we do to make a difference throughout our community.

“As far as this group of council members goes, the voters in Rockwall don’t mess up. They know what they’re doing. They’ve done a good job of putting people up here on the council that give 100 percent of their skills, expertise and experiences to make Rockwall better. So it’s been an honor and a privilege to get to work with you guys who have made Rockwall special.”

Pruitt proclaimed Monday, December 15, 2014 as David Sweet Recognition Day as a tribute to Sweet’s incredible accomplishments in his seven total years on the council, three as mayor.

As mayor of the city of Rockwall, Sweet made notable improvements in the city’s assessed property value and overall business health; helped initiate the relocation of major corporations to Rockwall, including Bimbo Bakeries, Hatfield and Company, and others; and has strived to ensure that Rockwall remains an active, healthy and wholesome place to raise families, including his leadership towards forming the Rockwall Baseball & Softball League.

In 2012, Sweet helped bring forth a successful capital improvement program in which Rockwall voters approved $8.6 million in bonds to create a pedestrian-friendly, attractive business environment in historic downtown Rockwall and $19.1 million for the multiple street and roadway projects. Also during his tenure, the city’s tax rate decreased from 50.13 per $100 of assessment down to 49.55 per $100 of assessed value.

While those in attendance heard from all of the council members and Rockwall Commissioner Cliff Sevier about how much David Sweet means to the community and everything he has done for the city and county of Rockwall, Pruitt’s simple yet powerful statement regarding Sweet’s accomplishments perhaps said it best.

“Rockwall is a better place because of this man,” Pruitt said.

Helping Hands of Rockwall County was also recognized as Mayor Sweet proclaimed December 15, 2014 as Helping Hands Recognition Day in honor of the organization’s valiant efforts towards providing valuable resources to locals in need. Donations to the highly-successful Helping Hands Thrift Store and Boutique go to support neighbors in crisis, and more than 10,000 local area residents are served through Helping Hands’ food, shelter, health, Assistance and Referral programs.

Story and photos by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News staff writer and reporter.

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