Grapevine marks Mayor William D. Tate's half‑century of leadership with golden jubilee

Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate, one of the longest‑serving mayors in Texas, is celebrating five decades in office. 

He marks the milestone on Sunday, May 17. Grapevine, a city known for its festivals, will begin a year‑long Golden Jubilee in honor of Tate this weekend.

"It bothers me a little bit that we're going so far and doing so much," Tate told CBS News Texas. "But, like I say, we're really recognizing it is not a celebration for me, but a celebration of the entire community."

When asked what he thinks about serving as mayor for 50 years, Tate said, "It makes me feel old. I was 30 when I first was sworn in as mayor. I'm a senior citizen now, so it's hard to realize how fast life is."

A busy schedule at age 84

The mayor turned 84 on May 11. He said he still keeps a full schedule, meeting with the city manager every morning and continuing to work at his private law practice.

When asked why he would want to be mayor for 50 years, Tate said, "I never set out to do that." 

But public service runs in his family. His father, Gordon, also served as mayor, and when Tate was 8 years old, his father let him release the first fish in Grapevine Lake. 

"That inspired me to want to be a part of the community," he said.

Five generations rooted in Grapevine

He said his family has deep roots in the city. Five generations have lived in a house near City Hall. Tate said he hopes younger generations will continue the family's tradition of service.

"My mother's father was the first nightwatchman. My uncle, Dick Wally, was the first chairman of the Downtown Merchants Association, which became the Chamber of Commerce. Then, my father was mayor. So, we've had a history in this community of our family serving and giving back. For that to continue, that would be great."

Proud of growth and low tax rate

Among his proudest accomplishments is helping guide Grapevine's growth into a destination known for resorts, festivals, and shopping. One lesson he learned early on from residents still holds true.

"They want more city services for less taxes," he said. "We've dropped it from 80 cents to about 22 cents, which we share with Tyler, Texas, as the lowest rate of a city of 50,000 or more."

Legacy tied to preserving city identity

Tate said he believes his legacy will ultimately be determined by residents. 

But when asked what he thinks it may be, he said, "We've done what they said in the beginning. Mayor, whatever you do, don't lose our identity, our town character, our pride, and our identity. We've been able to build a modern international city around the historic beginning that we've had. We've got the best of two worlds."

Another election ahead next year

As he looks ahead to the city's celebration, Tate is also facing another election next year. He said it's too early to decide whether he'll run again.

"People are very happy with what we do and that's one reason why I think I'm 50 years. People don't want to change. They will keep encouraging me to run because they want more of what we have. The successes are not mine. What we've done, we did as a team, we did as a community."

Watch Eye on Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming.

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