David G. Wallace - Political Career

Political Career

In 2001, Wallace was elected to Sugar Land City Council as a Single District Member representing District Four.

During the first year of his first term as a member of City Council, Wallace decided to pursue a mayoral campaign against the three-term incumbent mayor Dean A. Hrbacek, also a Republican; the city of Sugar Land is heavily Republican. Wallace gained support of the Fort Bend County Republican Party Chair Eric Thode with whom he had a political alliance, and other prominent leaders in Fort Bend County, including former Sugar Land Mayor Lee Duggan. Wallace defeated Hrbacek in May 2002, winning approximately 55% of the vote.

Since being elected, Wallace has guided Sugar Land policies and presided over a robust economy that resulted in lower property taxes, new jobs and upgraded infrastructure. During his tenure as mayor, Wallace worked as a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and was co-chairman of the Urban Water Council for the United States Conference of Mayors, as well as co-chairman for the conference's Homeland Security Task Force.

During his tenure, Sugar Land was named third in “Best Places to Live” in America by MONEY Magazine and CNN/Money, America’s Fifth Safest City by CQ Press, one the 100 Best Communities for Young People (three consecutive years), the nation’s first Community of Respect by the Anti-Defamation League and many more.

Also during Wallace's time as mayor, Sugar Land moved city offices into a newly-completed city hall located in the new $200 million Sugar Land Town Square, oversaw the $30 million expansion and addition of a new terminal to its regional airport, recruited many corporate headquarter relocations to drive economic development to the city and worked on the expansion of First Colony Mall. Wallace's second term also saw the debut of Sugar Land's first in-city Public-access television cable TV channel.

While mayor, Wallace negotiated with Minute Maid to relocate their headquarters to Sugar Land.

In 2004, Wallace was reelected with no opposition, and ran unopposed again in 2006. Wallace elected not to run again during 2008.

In 2005, while serving as mayor, Wallace sought out a private development company, Cherokee Investments, to redevelop the Imperial Sugar Company’s original site constructed more than 160 years ago. Also in need of a local partner, Wallace turned to a local real estate development firm. Wallace had co-invested with this local developer on other real estate investments. So, in order to protect the City of Sugar Land, the city manager and Wallace made the decision to create a “so-called” firewall around Wallace’s future involvement with the project to ensure there was not even a perception of a conflict of interest.

Since then, Cherokee Investments has closed on the Imperial Sugar tract and is now redeveloping a great community asset.