Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate says he plans to return to City Council Tuesday night. He said a broken hip kept him away from the city’s two September council meetings. His explanation answers questions that had circulated locally about his absence.
“I broke my hip. I missed the two council meeting in September. I was presents in July and August as the record will show. I will be present Tuesday night,” Tate told The Dallas Express.
The city has scheduled the October 6 meeting for 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 200 S. Main St. Generally, the council meets on the first Tuesday of each month. It also meets jointly with the Planning and Zoning Commission on the third Tuesday.
Questions about his absence
Questions about Tate’s whereabouts surfaced online after he missed the September 1 council meeting. He also missed the September 15 joint meeting with the Planning and Zoning Commission. The city’s public calendar confirms both meetings took place.
On September 18, Grapevine resident Tim Frazier raised questions about Tate’s absence in a post on his Trigger Factory blog. Frazier also sought public records concerning the mayor’s absences and other mayoral duties.
In an October 1 follow-up, Frazier described his request.
“I had asked on September 18 for emails, text messages, and memorandums between administrators and council members about the reasons for Mayor William D. Tate’s absences from meetings and other mayoral duties in July, August, and September 2026,” Frazier wrote.
The Dallas Express reviewed the city’s meeting records. That review verified Tate’s statement that he attended council meetings in July and August. Specifically, Grapevine’s archive lists meetings on July 7, July 21, August 4 and August 18. Those meetings preceded the two September sessions Tate said he missed.
In his response to DX, Tate attributed the September absences to his broken hip. He also said he plans to return Tuesday night.
Five decades as mayor
Earlier this year, Tate, 84, marked 50 years as Grapevine mayor. The city began his Golden Jubilee celebration in May 2026, with events continuing through May 2027. According to the city, he is the longest-serving mayor in Texas history and among the longest-serving in the United States.
The city’s official biography says Tate first joined the City Council in 1972. He then served as mayor from 1973 to 1985 before returning to the office in 1988. His current term expires in 2027.
Meanwhile, Tate has indicated that this term could be his last. In a May interview with WFAA, he reflected on his five decades in office. He described the period as “kind of a farewell tour.”
“I have at least a year left,” Tate said in the interview.
