By ALEXANDREA BAILEY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
At a recent South Padre Island City Council Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16, the city commissioners conducted a performance evaluation and review of the City Manager, William “Randy” Smith.
The evaluation took place in a roughly 49-minute-long closed executive session.
After the session commenced, Mayor Pro Tem Joe Ricco made the motion to extend Smith’s contract to March of 2027 with a raise increase of 3.75%. The council agreed unanimously.
According to the City, the City Manager serves as the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the
administration’s day-to-day functions. According to his original employment agreement, Smith is entitled to request at least one performance review a year with the option of a raise.
Smith is a Houston native and father of three women. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Criminal Justice Management from Boston University. He also attended the FBI National Academy Session 224 in Quantico, VA. He holds over 40 years of law enforcement experience and served 21 of those as a police chief.
“Randy [Smith] has done an outstanding job as City Manager. He is a great leader who has the respect of our city employees (across all departments) as well [the] City Council and our citizens. He understands the unique SPI dynamic and has navigated SPI through some interesting times. Over the last five years, SPI has faced several disaster[s] and has completed more capital projects than any previous city manager,” stated McNulty.
Council Member Ken Medders has worked alongside Smith in various capacities for nearly a decade. He
describes Smith as exceptionally punctual and reliable at all times, and always having a solution to any problem.
“He’s available 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” said Medders. “He is very thorough…I consider him a very
intricate part of the city government.”
Medders applauded several of Smith’s successes, including keeping the City fully staffed and not looking to raise taxes. He also shone a light on Smith’s diligence in maintaining the Island’s traffic situation as well as relentlessly working towards obtaining red flashing lights from TxDot for crosswalks.
Next January will mark Smiths’ 15th year working for the City. He gives much credit of his success to his
“teammates” within the city government and community.
“As SPI’s city manager, I am particularly proud of the accomplishments achieved and give credit to four-
components, which I like to refer to as the recipe for success that make it all possible; our extremely knowledgeable city council, SPI’s amazing leadership team, our enthusiastic staff, and our deeply involved and caring community. When you have a lineup like that, it makes it easy to identify the community’s needs and desires, find solutions and then ultimately achieve those objectives as one collective body,” stated Smith.
Smith holds pride in the way the City has handled disasters in the last few years under his management.
“First we were hit with a storm that produced straight-line winds that took out much of the city’s power lines and poles, which was then followed by COVID necessitating the immediate evaluation of needs while tackling health and safety concerns in an effort to keep the city moving forward,” stated Smith.
He says that his “team” has made great strides in improving the overall safety and aesthetics of the community through diligent work. He cites beach renourishment, various infrastructure improvements, city land purchases, improved drainage systems and the addition of a bike lane to Laguna Boulevard as examples of this.
“Myself and the entire SPI team stand ready for whatever the future holds. It’s exciting when looking forward for the next several years. While we have had some unexpected hurdles along the way, we feel really good about the Wind and Water Sports venue, the completion of the south end boat ramp and parking, along with the expansion of the convention center,” stated Smith. “I would like to express my appreciation to the city council for all their leadership and continued support.”
Council members Kerry Schwartz, Reese Langston and Lisa Graves declined to comment on Smith’s performance as City Manager.
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