Facing Upcoming Retirement, Moerbe Reflects On a Life of Public Service

La Grange Mayor Janet Moerbe will retire this year after 33 years in office. In 1988, while working as a teacher at La Grange ISD, she won her first election to the City Council. In 2000 she became mayor.

“I’ve put in 33 years with the City, 13 as Council member and 20 as mayor,” she said. “I did 33 years teaching school, so I figured it was a good odd number to step down and enjoy being retired.”

Moerbe said she became interested in City government soon after moving to La Grange in the late 1970s. When the Texas Department of Transportation announced plans to build a bypass around La Grange, many worried about the future of the town.

“The bypass was predicted to really kill the town, drawing business away,” she said.

In addition, Moerbe said her and her husband’s experience of building a home on a small lot in town piqued her interest in the inner workings of city government.

“It got me involved with the political side, how decisions are made, and how you don’t always get to do what you want,” she said.

More importantly, Moerbe said she wanted to help improve the town for future generations.

“My biggest emphasis was investing in our children and their future,” she said. “I ran because we had no parks and recreation department and I had three young children.

Moerbe led efforts to establish a parks and recreation department and after school programs for children. During her time on the Council and as Mayor, the City improved infrastructure maintenance and built a large capital reserve fund. She was also part of the committee that established the City’s Main Street program, which encourages community revitalization and economic development.

“When I first got on the Council, there were long meetings, long debates about whether we would fund this project or that project,” Moerbe said. “We’re in such a financially strong position right now that we can fund many more projects that the citizens want to see done.”

Moerbe said she thought about retiring two years ago. She chose to stay a little longer to see-through a project close to her heart.

“I decided I wanted to see Hope Hill get further along,” Moerbe said, referring to La Grange’s newest residential subdivision built for victims of the 2017 Hurricane Harvey flood.

Moerbe supported the project despite strong opposition from some residents around the neighborhood on Horton Street. The first residents moved into Hope Hill last year.

“It’s in the process of finishing up now,” Moerbe said.” If you wait for every project to finish you’ll never retire.”

Moerbe said her successor should keep a close eye on the changing patterns of commerce, especially the future of traditional retail shopping. The City depends greatly on traditional retail stores for sales tax revenue. However, the coronavirus pandemic has encouraged more people to utilize online shopping and delivery services, and many may continue using those services after the pandemic ends.

In addition, traditional retail stores occupy many of the commercial properties around town, especially around the Courthouse Square. Those properties generate important property tax revenue for the City as well.

Moerbe said future City leaders may want to encourage more restaurants and nightlife businesses, especially on the Square, as a way of adjusting to the trends in commerce.

“Its been a great run,” she said. “I’ve worked with tremendous Council people who have been interested in what’s best for the community as a whole.”

Moerbe said she plans to continue serving the community through volunteer activities with various organizations in town.

“I’m not going to be homebound,” she said.