Rick Grady
2024 - Present
2027
1
Rick Grady is a member of the Collin County Central Appraisal District in Texas. Grady assumed office on January 25, 2024. Grady's current term ends on December 31, 2027.
Grady ran for re-election to the Plano City Council to represent Place 3 in Texas. Grady won in the general election on May 4, 2019.
Grady completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2019
See also: City elections in Plano, Texas (2019)
General election
General election for Plano City Council Place 3
Incumbent Rick Grady defeated Colleen Aguilar-Epstein in the general election for Plano City Council Place 3 on May 4, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rick Grady (Nonpartisan)  | 53.5 | 10,807 |
 | Colleen Aguilar-Epstein (Nonpartisan) | 46.5 | 9,390 | |
| Total votes: 20,197 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2015
The city of Plano, Texas, held elections for city council on May 9, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was February 27, 2015. Four of the seven city council seats were up for election. All members of the Plano City Council are elected at-large. In the race for the Place 3 seat, Rick Grady was unopposed. Incumbent Andre Davidson did not run for re-election.[1]
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rick Grady completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Grady's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
My top three priorities are to keep my work for the citizens of this city fair, honest and transparent. Our city needs infrastructure maintenance to keep our traffic flowing and our water safe. Our city has a sterling record for safety and health, and I will keep it that way with investments in our first responders and our environmental personnel. Our city has achieved a top ten best city ranking over 20 times for its jobs, its housing market, as a place to live, to raise a family, to retire and to go to school. I intend to keep it at this high level while wisely managing the lowest tax rate of any city in our county.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am passionate about helping people. I have possessed a servant heart since I was 13 and joined Civil Air Patrol to perform search and rescue missions. Since then I have become an Army combat veteran, a commissioner on two community-focused boards, an advisor and board member to two homeless coalitions, a an active member of several regional and national councils dealing with transportation, mobility, military, finance, financial literacy, health and emergency response.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
I look up to several great leaders. First and foremost to God and his son Jesus Christ, as spiritual leaders who guides me on how to treat and work with people. Next, I look up to my parents who showed me the true meaning of hard work and involvement in the community. Next, I follow Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who showed me the true meaning of equality and justice. And I follow General Colin Powell who showed me what the true commitment to freedom really costs.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
If someone wants to understand me and my political philosophy, they need to read the Bible, the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and, quite possibly, the Magna Carte.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
An elected official needs to have the characteristics or principles of truth, honesty, fairness and a deep desire to help people, and they must instill that in their staff.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I possess the characteristics or principles of truth, honesty, fairness and a deep desire to help people, and I instill that in my staff. And, secondly, I have broad and deep experience. I served in Vietnam, earning two Army Commendations, the Cross of Gallantry and four Battle Stars. As a combat veteran I co-founded and lead the Collin County Veterans’ Coalition. I was awarded the U.S. Congressional Veteran Commendation by Congressman Sam Johnson. I am an active member with the Texas Health Resources Leadership Council, Emergency Preparedness Planning Council, Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition, Regional Transportation Council, Collin County Homeless Coalition, Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, Military Communities Council and, in the past, Plano’s Planning and Zoning and Community Relations Commissions. I know how a city needs to operate.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
There are three core responsibilities to an elected official. First, they must be true to all the people in their district, not only those who voted for them, but all those that did not vote or voted against them. They are still citizens that need my assistance. Second, they must possess the skills and training before stepping into the office, gained through years of experience on boards, commissions, community-focused nonprofits, etc. And, third, they must be good financial stewards to understand large budgets and to help keep the proper tax rates for the level of service the citizens demand.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I will leave a legacy that I was fair, honest, trustworthy, and approachable.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The first historical event I remember was when I was 9 and President Eisenhower announced the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration with the intent of creating manned space flight. I have been reading about it in the National Geographic for over two years before and was thrilled when it actually came into existence.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My very first job was totally unpaid. I was four and helped clean barn stalls with my brothers on my parents farm.
What happened on your most awkward date?
My most awkward date was one my parents had arranged with their friend’s daughter. She knew how to dance like a ballerina and I knew how to march like a soldier. We stumbled our way through the grade school dance and were both glad when it was over.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Christmas is my favorite holiday because it is filled with family and meaning.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Atlas Shrugged is my favorite book.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
If I could be any fictional character it would be the Captain of a Starship so that I could meet lots of new races of beings and explore strange new worlds.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My most favorite thing in my home is when my family is here. At other times it is peace and tranquility.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
The last song that stuck in my head was American Pie by Don McLean.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Life always presents struggles. It is how we endure them that is important. I've experienced the death of soldiers in my command, the loss of my wife, being a single parent with no income, limited income but able to make end meet, losing my parents, unemployment, poverty and other not nice events. Faith has guided me through all of it.
Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?
People may not be aware that cities are not islands. Although we live in one and we call it home and we pay a tax that helps fund the serves we receive, the city exists with numerous cities and towns around it and they all interact with each other in a larger community called a county. Likewise the counties interact with other counties in a body called a state. In order to get things done as a City Council Member we take on roles in organizations that work in between these bodies. These are councils or commissions that help manage roads, water, air, transportation, military, etc. These are typically the dark spaces between the cities that most people take for granted but do not know how they function and interrelate. Without them our roads would end at the edge of our city, each city would have to have their own water sources, and we would have to build domes over our cities to avoid the pollution from a neighboring community.
What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?
For a city council office holder they need a servant heart. Money decisions are easy. Impacts on people’s lives are hard. If the only thing a person cares about is the funding and cost of running a city, then they need to avoid this job. The decisions we make affect human life more than it affects human financials. We work on the balance sheet side of life, not the income statement side of life. Secondly, one really needs to know how cities function and interrelate with neighbors, the state and the nation. Finally you need to be able to look into the future and make a decision placing whatever you are doing on the right path for success, even at times when it currently receives significant pushback.
What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?
This IS the local government. It is working as a member of the board of a large non-profit organization called a city and helping make decisions that impact the well-being of the people receiving the services, called citizens.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?
Being a member of a City Council is graduate-level work. Board, commissions and previous, deep community work is necessary to understand the role. Without these qualities of understanding how the community functions, what the needs are, and how much things cost a newly minted council person is lost for years. It is like walking into a medical school surgical program without any undergraduate work and without any knowledge of anatomy, chemistry, or physiology.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2019 Elections
External links
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Collin County Central Appraisal District 2024-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Plano City Council Place 3 2015-2023 |
Succeeded by Rick Horne |
| |||||||||
 |
State of Texas Austin (capital) |
|---|---|
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