𝗠𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘: 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗚𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

𝗠𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗘: 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗚𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Some of you have seen me going around Commerce and giving honor where honor is due. For years, I have personally purchased Excellence in Service Pins with my own money and given them to people I believe deserve recognition. I have done this simply because I care about people, I value service, and I believe that when someone gives their time, talent, sacrifice or effort to help others, that contribution deserves to be acknowledged.

Recently, I have started recording and sharing some of these recognitions online so that you all can see a few of the people I have had the privilege of recognizing and learn more about the service they have given to others.

As mayor, I would not stop doing this. I would expand it.

I know some people may reasonably ask, “Why would the City spend money on medals when we already have proclamations? Isn't this unnecessary?” I understand that question. Taxpayer money should always be handled responsibly, and I would never suggest that a medal is more important than police protection, streets, water, infrastructure or other essential City services.

But I also believe that a city is more than its infrastructure and its budget. A city is its people. The people who volunteer, serve, teach, protect, mentor, sacrifice and step forward when someone needs help are part of what makes Commerce valuable.

Commerce already has a mayoral proclamation process for recognizing outstanding achievements, contributions and significant milestones. I would continue supporting that tradition. But I believe there is an opportunity to create another form of recognition that is more personal and permanent.

A proclamation recognizes someone officially. A civic medal can become something that person physically keeps for the rest of their life.

I also know some may say, “The mayor is a volunteer position, and Commerce doesn't have a traditional physical Mayor's Office.” That's true. But an Office of the Mayor does not have to mean a separate room, building or desk. An office can exist through the work, responsibilities and civic functions carried out through that office. The proposed Office of the Mayor Civic Award Medal would represent that work without creating a new physical office or bureaucracy.

As part of my first 100 days, I would propose establishing an Office of the Mayor Civic Award Medal, subject to City Council approval and the City's normal budget, procurement and administrative processes.

The proposal would be to make one initial order of 300 medals for the entire three-year term. Not an unlimited supply. Not a recurring program with an open-ended cost. Three hundred medals, purchased once, and distributed throughout the term to recognize exceptional service, sacrifice and achievement in Commerce.

And I want to be clear about who these medals would be for.

They would not be limited to people who already have impressive titles or jobs in public service. The medal would be about the act, not the title of the person who performed it.

It could recognize the ordinary Commerce resident who saves someone's life. The neighbor who steps forward during an emergency. The person who protects or assists someone else when help is needed. A first responder who goes substantially beyond the call of duty. A teacher whose extraordinary sacrifices for their students become known to the community. A student who dedicates hundreds of hours to serving others. A volunteer who quietly gives years of their time. A mentor who changes a young person's life. A resident who makes an extraordinary contribution to Commerce without ever asking for recognition.

It could also recognize significant volunteer-hour milestones, youth civic leadership, military and community service, nonprofit leadership, exceptional education and mentorship, meaningful contributions to Commerce's civic, cultural or economic life, extraordinary milestones such as reaching 100 years of age, and other exceptional acts of service, sacrifice or contribution.

The medal itself would be designed as a substantial 3-inch civic medallion, with a gold-tone metal finish, navy enamel detailing, raised elements and a red, white and blue ribbon. The goal would be to create something that feels like a genuine civic honor, rather than a promotional item.

I also understand the responsibility that comes with spending public money. I would not assume that money in a General Fund balance is simply available for discretionary spending. Commerce's FY2026 budget projected approximately $3.06 million in unassigned General Fund balance, while the City's reserve policy establishes a 35% target. The City has since adopted its FY2027 budget, so any proposal would need to be evaluated against the City's current financial position, reserve requirements, existing priorities and the proper budget and procurement process.

A NOTE ON COST: The estimated cost for the full 300-medal program, based on the proposed quality and specifications, would be approximately $4,100–$6,900 total, including an allowance for setup, packaging and contingencies. That works out to roughly $14–$23 per medal. Using the approximately $22.8 million FY2027 City budget, the entire three-year medal program would represent approximately 𝟬.𝟬𝟮%–𝟬.𝟬𝟯% 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿'𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁. The final amount would, of course, depend on the City's actual procurement process and vendor pricing.

The question is not whether Commerce needs 300 medals. We don't need medals in the same way we need police officers, functioning water systems, streets or other essential services.

The question is whether a limited and carefully administered civic recognition program can create meaningful value for the people who receive it.

I believe it can.

Think about the resident who gives hundreds of hours volunteering in Commerce. Think about the student who spends years serving other people. Think about the ordinary citizen who saves a life. Think about the teacher whose sacrifices for their students become known. Think about the first responder who performs an extraordinary act of service. Think about the resident who reaches 100 years old after spending generations as part of this community.

Imagine that person receiving a medal, taking it home and putting it somewhere special.

Years later, their children may see it. Their grandchildren may ask about it. Eventually, it could become an heirloom that carries not only the medal itself, but the story of why that person received it and what they contributed to Commerce.

That is what I mean when I say honor where honor is due.

I have been doing this personally for years because I believe people deserve to know that their service is seen and appreciated. Recently, I have started sharing some of those recognitions publicly so that our community can see the people behind the service.

As mayor, I would look for a way to take that same spirit of recognition and expand it into a thoughtful, limited and meaningful civic tradition for the entire City of Commerce, Texas.

Three hundred medals. Three years. A lasting way to recognize the people who make Commerce what it is.