Rick Gray
Encyclopedia
J. Richard "Rick" Gray is a lawyer and politician who has been mayor
of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
since January 3, 2006.
his father's profession took his family to Harrisburg
at a young age, where he attended school and graduated high school
. His father worked for a telephone company, and his mother was an elementary school teacher. He attended American University
and then Dickinson School of Law where he served as President of the Student Body.
He is a noted Harley-Davidson
enthusiast, and has a collection of over 400 bowties, part of his trademark image.
On July 1, 2010 he was hit by a truck in New Jersey. He was knocked out but he woke up a few hours later. He had a broken collarbone and broken ribs, and is in stable condition.he had since recovered and returned to lancaster to return to office
In July 2004 Gray was a highly regarded Defense attorney, and had formed an exploratory committee for his run for Mayor. He officially announced his candidacy on the front steps of his home on 12 February 2005, citing the city's rising financial deficit as an important issue he would fix. At the 4 August 2005 debate with incumbent Mayor Charlie Smithgall he continued to argue that the city's 4 million dollar deficit was the major issue, when his opponent (seeking a third term) claimed local crime as the most important priority.
Gray was sworn in on 3 January 2006 stating his immediate goals for his new administration: "Job No. 1 is to get our fiscal house in order. Job No. 2 is to get the convention center straightened out. And No. 3, I think, is community policing."
In 2006, Mayor Gray proposed an ordinance to charge home owners a fee to have their satellite dish
visible in the front of their house in the historic district of Lancaster, arguing it took away from the value of the district's historic look.
Mayor Gray endorsed Senator
Barack Obama
in March 2008 for the 2008 Democratic Presidential primaries
. Later that year he lost a bid to be an Obama delegate at the Democratic National Convention
, but still attended as his wife was selected to be a Pennsylvania delegate at large. The two both hate flying and so they decided to ride across country on their motorcycles.
In June 2008, he was elected to be one of the directors at large of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities (PLCM).
Gray was reelected to a second term in the 2009 Lancaster mayoral election
defeating for a second time Republican former Mayor Charlie Smithgall
.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
since January 3, 2006.
Personal life
Born in Pottsville, PennsylvaniaPottsville, Pennsylvania
Pottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north-west of Philadelphia...
his father's profession took his family to Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
at a young age, where he attended school and graduated high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. His father worked for a telephone company, and his mother was an elementary school teacher. He attended American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
and then Dickinson School of Law where he served as President of the Student Body.
He is a noted Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
enthusiast, and has a collection of over 400 bowties, part of his trademark image.
On July 1, 2010 he was hit by a truck in New Jersey. He was knocked out but he woke up a few hours later. He had a broken collarbone and broken ribs, and is in stable condition.he had since recovered and returned to lancaster to return to office
Professional career
Rick Gray started his law career in 1969 as a VISTA attorney with Neighborhood Legal Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. in 1972 when he became director of Legal Services for Central Pennsylvania. In 1976 he went into private practice on Duke Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.In July 2004 Gray was a highly regarded Defense attorney, and had formed an exploratory committee for his run for Mayor. He officially announced his candidacy on the front steps of his home on 12 February 2005, citing the city's rising financial deficit as an important issue he would fix. At the 4 August 2005 debate with incumbent Mayor Charlie Smithgall he continued to argue that the city's 4 million dollar deficit was the major issue, when his opponent (seeking a third term) claimed local crime as the most important priority.
Gray was sworn in on 3 January 2006 stating his immediate goals for his new administration: "Job No. 1 is to get our fiscal house in order. Job No. 2 is to get the convention center straightened out. And No. 3, I think, is community policing."
In 2006, Mayor Gray proposed an ordinance to charge home owners a fee to have their satellite dish
Satellite dish
A satellite dish is a dish-shaped type of parabolic antenna designed to receive microwaves from communications satellites, which transmit data transmissions or broadcasts, such as satellite television.-Principle of operation:...
visible in the front of their house in the historic district of Lancaster, arguing it took away from the value of the district's historic look.
Mayor Gray endorsed Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in March 2008 for the 2008 Democratic Presidential primaries
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008
The 2008 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. presidential election...
. Later that year he lost a bid to be an Obama delegate at the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
, but still attended as his wife was selected to be a Pennsylvania delegate at large. The two both hate flying and so they decided to ride across country on their motorcycles.
In June 2008, he was elected to be one of the directors at large of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities (PLCM).
Gray was reelected to a second term in the 2009 Lancaster mayoral election
Lancaster, Pennsylvania mayoral election, 2009
An election for mayor of the City of Lancaster in Pennsylvania was held on November 3, 2009. Incumbent Mayor Rick Gray, a Democrat, defeated challenger Charles W. "Charlie" Smithgall, a Republican by 313 votes, out of 7,261 cast....
defeating for a second time Republican former Mayor Charlie Smithgall
Charlie Smithgall
Charles W. "Charlie" Smithgall is an American politician, pharmacist and businessman. Smithgall served as the Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania for two-terms from January 1998 until January 3, 2006...
.
External links
- Rick Gray Lancaster Mayor official government website
- Rick Gray for Mayor 2009 campaign
- AMA chairman elected mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania American Motorcyclist Association, November 9, 2005