PHIL ROBERTS-MAN ABOUT TOWN

Phil Roberts is probably best known for his role as Mayor Pro Tem of Texas City. In
a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to
seven members, on a plurality-at-large voting basis. These commissioners constitute
the legislative body of the city and, as a group, are responsible for taxation, appropriations,
ordinances, and other general functions. Roberts is Board Certified in Estate
Planning and Probate Law since 1987 and currently serves a Mayor Pro Tem and City
Commissioner District 2 for Texas City. He is running for the position of Commissioner
At Large.
When I spoke with him we talked about the issues that weigh most heavily on him and
he narrowed his focus to three specific areas – Public Safety, Planning and Land use
and finally Education and the wellbeing of our youth. Roberts is a very familiar face in
Texas City. You will see him at all the major functions; celebrations, dedications, Town
Hall Meetings and more. He is active in the Texas City Rotary, was a member of the
Texas City School Board from 2006 to 2010, serves on the Planning Board and the list
goes on and on.
Many people are not aware of the fact that Commission positions are not paid positions.
The individuals who take on these responsibilities are dedicated citizens who
volunteer their time and expertise to ensure that our city continues to grow and prosper.
Roberts has been instrumental in supporting our local police department and works
closely with Emergency Management to ensure that they have the tools and the community
support they need to be successful. His knowledge and understanding of the
role planning plays in keeping our city safe and our citizens informed and well protected
involves a great deal of behind the scenes work. “It is a testament to how well our city
planning has worked to look at the amount of damage wreaked by Harvey as compared
to other cities. We had a few pretty close calls and we still have challenges to
work on with drainage systems, and we are continually working to improve our ability
to respond to weather events. And that includes educating our citizens and businesses
on what tools we have in our arsenal to use in times of crisis.”
The area closest to Roberts heart is our youth. He is committed to seeing to it that our
school district continues to expand services and improve in ways that are conducive to
giving the young people of our city a quality education which will hopefully allow them to
be successful in their career paths and encouraged to remain in Texas City to become
a part of this wonderful community. He and his wife raised their children in Texas City
and Roberts believes in the value of giving back to the community that has done so
much for him and his family.