state of the city
by Charlotte Kovalchuk
From Growing Pains To Glowing Gains “Embracing our history and building our future,” was Rick Hall’s campaign slogan when he ran for mayor of Liberty Hill in 2018. Two years and one term later, that vision has not changed. “There are a lot of fast-growing towns around the country, but they don’t have this anymore—this smalltown feel,” Rick says. “Liberty Hill will not always be small, but I want to keep that hometown feel in [the downtown] while improving and building our future.”
MORE ABOUT MAYOR HALL Born in west Texas, Rick’s career at DHL Express included a brief relocation in Ohio. He returned to Texas to open an Austin regional call center in Liberty Hill, and later became a health insurance agent. After retiring from the private sector, he decided the next chapter would be about service to his community. He moved into leadership of the Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce and the city’s Economic Development Corporation Board. While on the EDC board, he recognized the trend in Liberty Hill’s growth was more than standard; it was a boom. “I knew someone needed to step in and help guide the city through its growing pains. I decided to become that person as mayor of Liberty Hill.” As a relative newcomer to the small community, his mayoral campaign was an uphill climb, most notably because his opponent was an 11-year incumbent. However, after much door knocking and connecting with constituents, Rick won by 17 votes. He considered it a pretty good margin considering there were only 129 ballots cast.
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Having managed all of North America for DHL Express, Rick figured managing one small town would be easy.
“I realized quickly that they are two different worlds,” he says. “It was hard work learning municipal law, and instead of answering to one boss, I now report to five council members, and the entire population of Liberty Hill.” Despite its challenges, Rick believes listening to residents at town halls, improving infrastructure with road and water projects, being surrounded by a great staff and having the chance to serve his community—all during a crucial time of growth for the city—have made it all worth it. “Serving this community, seeing the changes as it’s growing; I want to do this for many more years to come as the city keeps growing,” Rick says.
