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One of the most exciting things I ’ ve been a part of is negotiating bringing a company called Finisar to our city .
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He ’ s approached his role as mayor with the same logical business mind that ’ s fueled his success in the construction industry . “ The city is essentially a nonprofit business ,” says Plyler . “ The things that I learned in the construction company such as financial management , negotiation , business planning , long-term planning , infrastructure planning , all of those things I do here translate directly to what I do at the city . So many of the skillsets are the same : we deal with people , we deal with developments , we deal with businesses , we deal with attorneys , we deal with customers — each citizen is a customer . Looking at it that way , the transition has been seamless .”
As mayor , Plyler has remained focused on doing what ’ s best for the citizens now and for the foreseeable future . Many of his accomplishments as mayor have a direct correlation to his business acumen : helping negotiate Highway 75 and Highway 1417 upgrades , library renovations , adding nearly $ 1 billion in new property tax value to tax rolls , providing the financial base to fund numerous infrastructure improvements , and others .
“ One of the most exciting things I ’ ve been a part of is helping negotiate bringing a company called Finisar to our city ,” says Plyler . The company , now called II-VI , is responsible for vertical laser scanning technology that provides iPhones face identification capability . A notable coup , a long-shuttered , 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Sherman was revitalized and more than 500 high-skill jobs were created as a direct result of his negotiations with the company .
Plyler also points to the upgraded and improved Hot Summer Nights Concert Series as something he ’ s proud of . “ When I became mayor , we had local bands and low attendance ,” he says . “ With the help of generous sponsors we were able to increase the budget and we now have national bands like Blue Oyster Cult and 38 Special performing and attendance of 2,000 to 3,000 people per concert .”
Being mayor hasn ’ t been without its difficulties , especially in the past year . COVID-19 was but one of the challenges the city faced . “ The goal of our efforts regarding COVID-19 were to keep the public safe and safeguard as best we could the livelihoods and businesses that have been built over the years in the city ,” says Plyler .
This challenge was compounded by an unprecedented winter storm that left several neighborhoods without power for extended periods . “ We had many residents without water and power so
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