(Seguin) — Seguin City Manager Steve Parker is getting high praise from the Seguin City Council. The council met behind closed doors on Tuesday to conduct Parker’s annual evaluation. Council members returned to open session and granted Parker a 2.5 percent pay raise, which will push his annual salary to just over $305,000.
Councilman Jason Biesenbach says Parker has done an incredible job on behalf of the city of Seguin.
“It was stated, Mr. Parker, behind closed doors that this community supports you, as do we. They see the things that you do and the actions you take. It was widely reported on, especially on Facebook, what happened with the Wendy Squirrel, and then the action you took with that young man really speaks volumes to your character. We just want you to continue to be an asset to the city. We appreciate you and we want you to stay here for a long time and not go anywhere. We appreciate you very much and we want to see you continue to grow,” said Biesenbach.
Biesenbach was referencing the squirrel art piece that is part of the city’s Squirrel Trail public art displays. There’s a squirrel statue outside of City Hall, that was donated in honor of Parker’s late wife, Wendy. The statue was damaged by a juvenile suspect. An arrest was made, but Parker took to social media recently to offer grace and support for the teenaged suspect. Parker wrote on Facebook that he found out more about the teen, and that he was apparently intelligent and normally made good decisions. Instead of seeking further punishments, Parker instead offered to pay for the teen’s fees to enter into the Broady Academy, which is a faith-based school in San Antonio. The teen had a goal to attend the Broady Academy, because it would allow him to graduate early from high school. Parker also stated that if the young man stayed out of trouble, he would help him find a job with the city of Seguin.
Those kinds of things clearly made an impact on the city council and with the community. Councilwoman Monica Carter says Parker has made a big difference for the city of Seguin in so many ways.
“You have the support of the city, this community, this council and all of the employees for the city of Seguin. We’re grateful to have you. We’re blessed to have you. We’re better for having you,” said Carter.
Councilman Bill Keller says that Parker is beloved by many in the community, because people recognize his dedication to making Seguin a better place to live and work.
“Steve, you show a lot of love for this community. It’s quite evident and it’s reciprocated. This community loves you. The staff, it’s the same situation. You’ve surrounded yourself with a wonderful team. They support you. I’ve never heard a bad word from the staff. You know them all. You support them all. You go around and you visit them, and you make them feel like they’re doing a wonderful job for the city, and they are. You show them that they are appreciated,” said Keller.
Parker thanked the council for the vote of support and said so much of his success is due to the relationship that he has with staff and the council.
“I’m very proud of everything that was accomplished this year, but it was a group effort between y’all and our amazing city staff. We are just so blessed to have this team, where we all row in the same direction. It doesn’t happen in every community/ I’m very proud of the items that have been approved this year. When we look back on the list of accomplishments, it is long and it is very, very life changing, with the trajectory of where this community is heading. I just can’t say enough about the teamwork and the way the community supports y’all, supports me, and supports this team. It is one of the greatest opportunities I’ve ever had. I love it and I would do anything for this community. I hope it shows, because I do dedicate every ounce of my effort into making Seguin a better community,” said Parker.
Parker says he’s proud of the work that they’ve done so far, and he thinks more good things are coming to Seguin.
“We are doing great things. We’ve done great things. We increased our ordinances. We’ve increased staffing. We’ve had infrastructure projects that are going to change how this community functions for a long, long time. I’m very, very proud of that. With that being said, I thank you for this opportunity to serve this community,” said Parker.
Parker didn’t just get support from the city council. A young member of the community also offered his thoughts on Parker’s performance. Jackson Biesenbach, 10, the son of Councilman Biesenbach, was actually the first to public speak on behalf of Parker on Tuesday night.
“I’m going to name a couple things I like about Steve Parker. He is nice, caring, and he should still be the city manager of Seguin, because he says the right things and he does the right things,” said Jackson Biesenbach.
Parker became city manager in January 2020, after spending several years as an assistant city manager with the city of San Marcos. During his tenure, the city has experienced rapid residential, retail and industrial growth. He also was at the helm for the development of the city’s new comprehensive master plan, and master plans for the downtown and for the city’s economic development department.