bporterfield@pvdemocrat.com —
Patrick Grimmett feels the time is right to again get involved in helping his hometown and give back in a big way.
Grimmett is making a run for a seat on the Pauls Valley City Council as he’s set to go against longtime incumbent Tim Gamble during an election on April 2.
Following in the footsteps of his family’s long legacy here in PV, Grimmett believes the best way to help his community is by stepping up and making an attempt to serve on the local council.
“It was time to do it; time to get back involved,” Grimmett said.
“I felt like it was time for me personally to get involved,” he said. “I thought the city council was a good place to start.
“It’s time to do my civic duty.”
Grimmett and his family have plenty of history here. He is the fourth generation of the family to guide PV National Bank.
He currently works as a vice president and chief investment officer at the bank’s west side branch office at the intersection of Grant and Indian Meridian.
Now 42 years old, Grimmett grew up in Pauls Valley, graduated from high school here and spent most of his life living in the Valley.
“I’m proud of Pauls Valley and want to help this town,” Grimmett said. “There are a lot of things here, and a lot of things that need to be done. I want to see what I can do to facilitate that.
“My roots run deep here,” he said. “I just want to give back to a community that’s done so much for us.
“I’ve got a vested interest in Pauls Valley, with business, with family. I just want to see this town prosper.”
There was a time when Grimmett was highly active in the community.
Then came his real education into the world of politics when in 2004 he ran for a state House seat that included a part of Garvin County.
He won a couple of races to win his party’s nomination but ultimately lost to the current representative, Lisa Billy.
Before the race Grimmett was very active in the PV community by serving on boards and local civic clubs.
When the House race was over he took a step back from his community work. Now he’s looking to get it going again.
“It was a stepping point for me to get back involved in the community,” he said.
“There’s so much going on in this community, a lot of good things and we’ve got some major issues for this small of a town.”
He cites such issues as the future of the local hospital and the drought now entering its third year and how the city of Pauls Valley deals with the water situation.
There’s also the impact of losing the local Southern Oklahoma Resource Center at some point in the future.
With all that in mind Grimmett says he just wants to be a council member who makes “solid, sound, well informed decisions.”
“It’s not about making rash decisions. It’s being logical throughout the process of working through the issues. Sometimes we get caught up in the moment, but we need to take a step back and look at it logically,” he said.
“It’s about making good decisions that the people will want. We need to make logical business decisions that make this a better place.”
Grimmett stresses his run for the council is not about unseating any council member. The real issue, he says, is just doing what he can to help.
“I have nothing against anyone on the council,” Grimmett said.
“I just think maybe a new perspective is needed on the city council.”
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Grimmett says the time is now
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