If you could ask your mayor anything, what would it be? In honor of the Best of Lancaster issue, we gave Lancaster mayor Rick Gray a pop personality quiz, and here’s how he answered.
Name: J. Richard (Rick) Gray
Hometown: I was born in Pottsville, but Lancaster has been home for most of my life.
I believe that the most important quality for a mayor is: setting a vision and working with others to achieve that goal.
My favorite thing to do with my wife in Lancaster is: be with her.
My proudest accomplishment while I’ve been in office has been:
a. creating and expanding over 140 restaurants and businesses in the area.
b. the renovation of five parks and recreational areas within the city.
c. the improvement of local neighborhoods and apartment living areas.
d. implementing a design for an environmentally conscious city infrastructure.
e. other: creating an environment in the City of Lancaster where cultures, restaurants and businesses can flourish while, at the same time, working in our neighborhoods to improve the quality of life.
The places I would recommend for someone taking a day trip to Lancaster: Anyone taking a day trip to Lancaster on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday, should be sure to visit Lancaster Central Market. It is heritage, great food and buying local all together.
My favorite moment as mayor was so far: Every day when I am walking to work, I am stopped on the street and get suggestions, complaints and compliments from our residents and visitors. I love the interaction with people that the office of mayor provides, and often I get an insight into how to solve a problem.
To unwind from the stress of being in office, I: motorcycle or cook Northern Italian food.
The biggest reason why the green movement is so important to me is: I view our environment as our legacy to our children and grandchildren. Whether that legacy is bounty or barren will be determined by the actions that we take today. Stewardship of the environment is of primary importance, and the green movement is one way that we as public officials can recognize this.
My favorite place to eat in Lancaster: Depending on what type of food I want and where I have eaten recently, there are so many good restaurants in Lancaster that it is impossible to single one out.
If I could do anything besides being mayor, I would choose:
a. to continue my prior career as a defense attorney.
b. to become an advocate for environmental preservation.
c. to motorcycle across America.
d. to work firsthand on building up Lancaster’s neighborhoods.
e. other: to spend more time with my grandchildren both in Pennsylvania and on the West coast.
In my opinion, being mayor has changed me the most by: allowing me to think on a broader goal-oriented level and develop policies that directly affect the future of our city. Rather than think of a solution to the individual problem in front of me, as mayor I have the opportunity to think in broader terms as to what caused the problem and to work on the broader solutions.
I’m so passionate about my city because: The city of Lancaster has allowed me to raise three children, have a wonderful marriage and have a successful legal career. Its physical environment is beautiful, and its people are caring and positive. There is no place else that I would sooner live than the city of Lancaster, and I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity to work to make it even better.