A civic leader is a noun defines as a leader in municipal affairs. A civil leader. A leader – a person who rules or guides or inspires others, according to www.thefreedictionary.com.

So, it was not a surprise to see City of Orange Mayor Larry Spears Jr. won the Best in Orange County for both best civic leader and best elected official.

Before Spears was elected as a city council member, he was involved behind the scene to improve and inspire Orange.

As an avid Mustang fan, Spears has coached football, volunteered with non-profits and more.

As an elected official, Spears was in the public eye more so much of his volunteering become more apparent. 

Now as mayor, he inspires the council, the staff and the residents of Orange to stay positive and look for a brighter future.

His first year as mayor, Spears spoke of his vision often:

• Positive motivation
• Encourage participation
• Lead by example

In 2019, he asked residents to continue with the momentum with ‘No More Treadmills in 2019.’ 

No treadmills is more than a fresh start, it is changing the mindset of individuals.

Positive motivation can help change the mindset and change the system.

As Orange continues to look to Spears for motivation and inspiration, it is up to individuals to push forward and stay positive. 

A Special Call Meeting of the Orange City Council will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, August 1 at the Orange Public Library Auditorium located at 220 North 5th Street in Orange.

The purpose of the meeting is for the council to go into9 closed executive session to deliberates on the presentation by SGR regarding the City Manager search process.

May the search result in a City Manager with the same vision for Orange as Spears.

 

Dawn Burleigh is the editor of The Orange Leader. She can be reached at dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com