Photo Provided by the City Of Southlake
Laura Hill is Southlake’s first female mayor. She’s lived in Southlake since the ‘90s, joined the city council in 2004, and was elected mayor in 2015. She truly loves her community and calls this “the job of a lifetime.” Her term will end in May 2021, and although her final few months as mayor looked nothing like she expected them to, she and Southlake’s community have been changed for the better.
Fort Worth Magazine: Is it true that Southlake’s mayor and city council members are volunteer roles?
Laura Hill: We’re not paid, and we have term limits. I’m not getting a paycheck. Really, I’m talking with people in Tom Thumb or at the pet store or in Central Market.
I’m like [Southlake’s citizens]; I just chose to run for mayor. I got elected, and maybe myself and the council are more dedicated because we’re doing it for no pay. It gives us a little gravitas. We’re truly doing this out of a love and concern for our community and the people that make us great.
FW: Where do you like to spend time in Southlake?
LH: My dog and I walk all the time, so we love our Southlake parks. I love walking through Southlake Town Square and window-shopping when the stores aren’t open. I’m also fortunate because my office in Town Hall has a beautiful balcony that overlooks Southlake Town Square. I have an amazing view of the city.
FW: Was it strange to see businesses closed in Southlake Town Square during the pandemic?
LH: One of the days that will stick with me for the rest of my life was the week the city shut down in March. I went out on the balcony, and there was no one in town hall, no one at the town square. Not a car, not a person. I knew at that moment that I was in the right place at the right time. I knew, I’m supposed to be the mayor right now.
We had an employee die of COVID-19. We lost a young woman; she passed away in the beginning of April. It’s taught me that although you may constantly talk about your citizens as a mayor, you have just as much responsibility to your city staff.
It’s been a time of a lot of soul searching. You know ... How do I communicate? Why can’t I find the words when I want to make everyone feel better? It’s been humbling.
FW: How have you communicated with the city during this time?
LH: When things started out, there was a halt in communication. The easy flow of communication I had prided myself on as a mayor was lost. All we had left was posting on social media; then people started getting comfortable on Zoom and WebEx and Teams. People started participating again.
FW: Do you still use social media to communicate with your citizens?
LH: Yes, I’m really engaged on social media. On average, I get close to 20 private messages a day from citizens.
FW: Are you able to respond to everyone who gets in touch with you?
LH: That’s an absolute must for me. It’s a conversation. I run all my own social media. My phone sits at my desk, and if I see something pop up, I get an answer to them right away. I enjoy it; that’s the best part of the job.
FW: How has an open line of communication helped your city during the pandemic?
LH: Trust, No. 1. Trust. When people private message me and ask, “Should I go to church on Sunday? I’m worried,” I take that as a huge, huge compliment. They trust the city. And the way I’ve always operated is, if you have a problem, private message me. I’ll always say, let me get you the answer. I have great people I work with that get me answers immediately so that our citizens can get answers.
FW: How have your local businesses been handling COVID-19?
LH: The first thing we did was put together the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Recovery. We started from day one. We went to our businesses and said, if you’re open, if you’re doing curbside, grab-and-go, put a sign out on the highway. Then, the task force came up with the Southlake Safe Program, which was a big hit.
FW: What’s the Southlake Safe Program?
LH: As soon as the governor allowed us to reopen, we realized that the biggest hurdle would be making sure your customer felt safe coming into your business. Our team decided to create something similar to the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Dozens of businesses signed up. They all have stickers on their front doors, and they’re following the protocols.
FW: What are some other programs you’ve implemented during this time?
LH: We went to the chamber of commerce and offered to mentor businesses. [Our council members] will give you three hours of advice and direction to get your business back up and running, put you in touch with the right people in the city. We’ve also been having virtual “Coffee and Conversations” [with our community], and I’ve been doing virtual chamber updates for our members to find out what they need. I think some of our new programs are things that will change us forever. I think we’ll think outside of the box in a different way moving forward.
FW: How has this past year changed you?
LH: I think we’ve all gotten a little more real, right? If you would’ve talked to me a year ago, I would have been dressed perfectly; I would’ve gotten my hair blow dried before our meeting. Now, I don’t even — I don’t even have earrings on! What I learned this year is that I’m okay with who I am, and I’m going to be this way. I will never go back. I used to always have my pearls on. Honestly, now I don’t even know where they are. I don’t think I’m ever wearing them again!
FW: What are some of the biggest ways you’ve helped Southlake grow as city mayor?
LH: Taking our city to a whole new level of communication. Citizens see lack of information as lack of transparency. If you can start communicating and building confidence with them, then when something bad happens and you need an hour to get your thoughts together, they’re going to give you that. They’re going to give you grace because they believe you and they understand it.
FW: What three words describe your experience as mayor, especially this year?
LH: I have to use the four words I keep going back to: I believe in Southlake. That, for me, sums up everything that I do. I can tell you words like resilience and community and spirit, but that’s not who I am. From the day I decided to run for mayor until the day I leave, I believe in my community. I think our citizens believe in our community. We may have rocky roads together, but we’ll ultimately want what’s best for our community because we really believe in it. We really do.
