First Hispanic mayor of small Texas town reflects on career

WICHITA FALLS ( KFDX/KJTL ) — Politics is no easy feat for anyone pursuing it but in Wichita Falls, Texas, one man reflected on his career as the city’s first Hispanic mayor.

“Please cast your vote,” former Mayor Stephen Santellana said during his last city council meeting, presiding over the motion to accept the results of the 2023 mayoral election. “That motion passes,” he continued as he handed the reigns to now-Mayor Tim Short after seven years leading the city.

“I sat in my position because so many citizens put their trust in me, and they believed in me,” Santellana told the public in his closing speech.

He left his mark on the city as the 41st mayor, writing history when elected in 2016.

“They put the microphone in your face, and they say, how’s it feel to be the first elected minority mayor?” Santellana said.

A feat accomplished once since the city government was established in 1889, after Bea Arthur finished a mayoral term in 2005.

“I ran the whole campaign, never on the basis of being the first Hispanic mayor,” Santellana said. “It didn’t sit in with me for a while until a lot of Hispanic groups started to get hold of me and you get a lot of text messages and emails, telling me how proud they were that I’m not only representing Wichita Falls, but a certain section of Wichita Falls.”

Before serving as mayor, Santellana served about a year and a half as District 1 city councilor. When the mayor’s seat opened up, he knew it was time to move up the ladder.

“I’ll run for the practice of it, but I don’t think anything will come of it. And then, of course, I get elected and stay three terms,” Santellana said.

Santellana held the key to the city for seven years. He cites his greatest accomplishments as keeping taxes and water rates at bay.

He also guided the city through the COVID-19 pandemic and worked with councilors to give Panda Biotech a $2.8 million incentive plan to come to the city in 2020. Plus, the Delta hotel and convention center broke ground in 2021 after years of work.

“I think I was impactful to Wichita Falls,” Santellana said. “When you reflect upon the seven or eight years or whatever you did, you can always think you did more. I think that’s in human nature and it’s definitely in my DNA. What more could I have done? I love the people that pat me on the back, but I also love the people that were critical of me.”

Aside from the impact he believes he left, Santellana hopes his run inspires the next generation.

“We have a lot of development here in Wichita Falls. And [in the] last—I’d say three or four years— and you’re starting to see that bleed over now with schools and hospitals coming and state hospitals coming. It’s a huge piece for any community,” Santellana said. “I’m glad I was able to do a lot of that. Somebody can go educate themselves and work hard if you want to be the mayor, you want to be on council, board or commission, a nonprofit, successful businessman, it’s all predicated on how much effort you’re going to put in.”

It’s a ship Santanella believes he’s steered in the right direction, and he hopes his city continues to follow.

Santellana still plans to remain active in the community whether volunteering with a nonprofit or receiving an appointment to a city board.

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