COVER STORY
Heart of the City
Mayor Ronnie Spradlin works to better Kilgore
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BY LUCAS STROUGH | lstrough@kilgorenewsherald.com PHOTOS BY LES HASSELL
ilgore's event calendar is packed year-round, with activities and programs happening nearly every weekend. Attend just a few of these events, and you'll start to notice a familiar face: Mayor Ronnie Spradlin. Spradlin can be seen at nearly every event which happens in Kilgore, from business openings to fireworks shows and Rangerette performances. He reads declarations to congratulate hard-working citizens, helps lead the Christmas parade and dresses up for all sorts of occasions — all while managing the usual duties of his mayoral position. It's clear he loves Kilgore, and becoming its mayor is the realization of a longtime goal. He first became mayor in 2010 when a special election was held. “I remember meeting the mayor when I was 12 or so and thinking I would like to be that some day,” Spradlin said. “I ran for mayor to keep the city moving in the right direction and ensure that Kilgore Economic Development Corporation (that I campaigned to establish) would continue to diversify our
6 Etcetera | Summer 2022
industrial base so we were not sensitive to energy downturns.” Kilgore has changed in many ways since Spradlin was elected, and his time as mayor has seen the city grow and develop while still maintaining a strong link to its roots in the hardworking spirit of the East Texas Oil Boom. “Since being elected, I have seen the diversified steady growth of retail and industry,” he said. “Many old structures have been replaced with newer, bigger ones that add to our tax base. Synergy Park continues to fill up with new industry and many existing industries have prospered and grown.” Even though the last few years have been challenging, as Kilgoreites and people all over the world dealt with lockdowns, supply shortages and economic uncertainty, Spradlin said Kilgore has managed to become even better in spite of these difficulties. “We all hated to see Halliburton leave Kilgore,” he said, “but
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