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Mayor and City Council

Responsibilities

The City of Live Oak follows a “Council-Manager” form of government as provided by the City Charter. The City of Live Oak is a home-rule municipality, meaning that it operates under a municipal charter that has been adopted or amended as authorized by Article XI, Section 5 of the Texas Constitution. The City of Live Oak was incorporated in 1960. Pursuant to its provisions and subject only to the limitations imposed by the state constitution and by state law, all powers of the City are vested in the elected City Council, which enacts local legislation, adopts budgets, and determines policies. The City Council executes the laws and oversees the government of the city.

The City of Live Oak City Council is compromised of an elected Mayor and five council members, all of whom are chosen at large. Terms are for a period of two years with the Mayor and Council Places Two and Four being elected in even years. Places One, Three and Five are elected in odd years.

Meetings

City Council Meetings are held on the second and last Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Live Oak City Hall, 8001 Shin Oak Drive, Live Oak, Texas.

Note: Council may sometimes modify/cancel meeting dates, and those meetings will be posted on the City Calendar.

An agenda for each upcoming council meeting is posted at least 72 hours in advance in the display case located just outside City Hall's main entrance. All regular council meetings are open to the public. We welcome your participation! For more information, please email us at info@liveoaktx.net.

Meet Your Council


Mary M. Dennis, Mayor

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Mayor Mary M. Dennis was born in Newton, Mississippi. Mary’s father served in the United States Army and the family traveled throughout Europe and the United States. The family moved to San Antonio, Texas when Mary was 15.

Prior to Mayor Dennis’ election as the first African-American Mayor in Live Oak, she served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for several years and pursued two bids for a council seat. Ms. Dennis has served as Mayor for the City of Live Oak since 2010 and was re-elected as Mayor during the 2022 General Election. As Mayor, Mary desires to bring the city closer together across varied backgrounds and dedicates much of her time to participating in activities throughout the City and the Region. Mary believes government is about serving people by making City government more efficient and accessible.

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Mary’s civic activities include serving on the Board of Directors for the Live Oak Economic Development Corporation, active participation in the Northeast Partnership, Honorary Commander Randolph Air Force Base, Randolph Metro Chamber, Bowden Charter of Business/Professional Women, National Council of Negro Women - Ruth Jones McClendon Chapter, Commissioner on the Mayor’s Commission for the Status of Women and San Antonio Commission on Literacy, City Public Service Citizen Advisory Committee (CPS), San Antonio Water Systems (SAWS) Citizen Advisory Committee, Chairwoman of the Bexar County Suburban Cities Committee, alternate member for Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Treasurer of the Greater Bexar County Council of Cities, TML Board of Directors of the Finance Nominating Committee, Executive Board Director for the Texas Association of Black City Council Members (TABCCM), past Vice President of the Northeast Partnership, member of the Judson ISD Bond Committee, Chair of the Judson ISD Facilities Committee, member of the San Antonio International Council of Visitors and E-Rotary Club, Committee member of the National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Board Chair of the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool and 2016/2017 President for the Texas Municipal League (TML). Mayor Dennis is looking forward to continuing to serve TML, all Regions and Live Oak community.

Mary is a Sam Houston High School graduate, attended Our Lady of the Lake University, and is a licensed mortician. She has one daughter, Christina Bright, and three grandchildren: Cierra, Chase, and Christine. Mary epitomizes the power of persistence as well as the incomparable power of an abiding faith in God.


Aaron Dahl, Mayor Pro-Tem, Place 5

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Aaron Dahl is originally from Stamford, Connecticut. After spending some time in Washington, DC for his undergraduate degree, he eventually came to Texas A&M to complete his masters degree. Dahl moved to San Antonio for work in 2003 and within a year decided to make the move permanent. The geographic location, access to major highways and abundance of stores and restaurants made Live Oak an attractive location to buy a home and in 2005, Dahl was among the first buyers in Bridlewood Park. In 2007, Dahl founded his own architecture firm where he remains owner and operator today.

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In 2010, upon realizing stability in his professional endeavors, Dahl sought to contribute more to his local community. With his experience and background in development and construction, the logical first step was planning & zoning. Once a vacancy became available, Dahl applied for, and was unanimously appointed as an alternate member of the Live Oak Planning & Zoning board in 2010. During his short time on Planning & Zoning, Dahl offered unique insight and critical risk reward perspectives from the vantage point of a city regarding future development and implications of the board’s decisions. Dahl religiously attended Planning & Zoning meetings and also began routinely attending City Council meetings as well where he grew frustrated with one council member’s apparent focus on special interests and lack of commitment. Dahl knew this was not good for the future of Live Oak and he could do better. Dahl ran for City Council place 5 on a platform of common sense solutions for the greater good of the city. He was elected to City Council in May, 2011.

During his tenure on the City Council, Dahl has remained true to his initial values of financial security, support for police and fire and maintenance and improvements to the City. Dahl was the leading voice in the move to demolish and sell off the former Live Oak Civic Center and support a market study for a new hotel and conference center, paving the way for the development of the Hilton Garden Inn and Live Oak Conference Center in February, 2016. Dahl was a strong advocate of economic incentives to secure the development of IKEA and The Live Oak Town Center. Recently, he has been a strong supporter of the City of Live Oak Parks Master Plan and required improvements. Dahl continues to evaluate and support positive development opportunities within the limits of our city.

Dahl has seen four city managers and has run for reelection six times, unopposed. Dahl holds true to his core beliefs of rendering common sense decisions that are right for the community as a whole.


Mendell D. Morgan Jr, Councilman Place 1

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Mendell Morgan is a native Texan and Live Oak resident since 1975. He and his late wife, Jean, reared one son in Live Oak. He holds a Master's in Library and Information Science and has pursued a career in librarianship, having retired as Dean Emeritus of Library Services at the University of the Incarnate Word J. E. and L. E. Mabee Library and is listed in Who's Who in Education. He is currently the Director of Development for El Progreso Memorial Library in Uvalde. He has served on Live Oak City Council Place 1 since 2014 and is also an active member of Kiwanis, Live Oak Humane Society, and St. Matthew's Episcopal Church.


Robert “Bob” Tullgren, Councilman Place 2

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Dedicated city council member with 14-years of service. Retired military veteran with 39-years federal experience. A proud resident of Live Oak since 1972, and from a family deeply rooted in the city—parents were city employees and they along with his younger brother have a long history of volunteerism and community involvement. Committed to fostering sustainability, managing growth, and city prosperity for our future.


Dr. Erin Perez, Councilwoman Place 3

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Dr. Erin Perez was first elected to the Live Oak City Council Place 3 in May 2021.

Dr. Perez is a 12th generation Texan, descendant of one of the founding Canary Islander families for San Antonio and descendant of an Alamo defender and nurse. She is a public servant, clinician, author, and educator. She and her family have been residents of Live Oak, Texas since 2009. She is active in supporting her family and community in education, FFA, equine, music, veterans, and law enforcement organizations.

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Dr. Perez is a proud three-time alumni of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. She practices as a board-certified adult and geriatric nurse practitioner who is also board-certified as a subspecialist in palliative and hospice care. She is recognized as an expert and pioneer in Supportive Palliative Care.

She serves Texans as a noted team-builder, effective advocate and bill drafter across the settings and roles. She is active across multiple state, national and international nursing, health care and policy organizations. She is Chair for the Texas Palliative Care Interdisciplinary Advisory Council. Currently, she leads Team Texas as one of six states selected by the National State Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP) supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation for their new national Serious Illness Institute two-year project.

In her first term, Dr. Perez has served as an appointee to the Texas Municipal League (TML) Legislative Summitt and involved with the Texas Association of Hispanic Municipal Officials (AHMO). Live Oak is an active partner in the National League of Cities (NLC). Dr. Perez serves in the NLC, Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) and the Hispanic Elected Officials (HELO).

Dr. Perez looks forward to the future with the deepest gratitude and appreciation for the Live Oak community’s support. She is honored and blessed to continue her efforts in public service to improve the health and quality of life for her premier community of Live Oak and great state of Texas where the community lives, learns, works, and plays.


Ed Cimics, Councilman Place 4

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Councilman Cimics was raised in Salem, New Hampshire and served our Country from 1959 to 1979 in the United States Air Force. Upon his retirement, he moved to the San Antonio area and married his wife Peggy Cimics who is the City Secretary at Cibolo. They have called Live Oak home since 1982. Cimics was a Charter member of the Live Oak Lions Club from 1989-1999 and helped leave a legacy behind to City with a memorial garden, floating fishing pier, and the first gazebo at city park by city lake.

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Cimics was also an Honorary Commander at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Air Force Base from 2000-2008. During his time in Live Oak, Cimics also volunteered for over a decade with the Fire Department and eventually became an EMT. Cimics is a TML Certified Municipal Officer and enjoys seeing the growth that Live Oak has experienced throughout his tenure as a Councilman, which started in 2010. He is also a Member of the Live Oak Economic Development Corporation. Cimics continues to be very active in our community by serving on several civic organizations such as LOCAP (Live Oak Citizens Assisting Police). In his spare time, Cimics enjoys traveling with his wife Peggy. They have taken over 18 various cruises.