Deer Park Mayor Passes After Fight with Cancer

The city of Deer Park announced on Sept. 14 that Mayor Tim Verzal has passed away. Verzal had been battling pan- creatic cancer and had announced he would be taking a step back from his role in May; he then released a statement on Sept. 10, announcing his resignation, listing his health as a key concern for himself and his family recently. “Serving as mayor has been one of the greatest honors of my life.

I am incredibly grateful for the trust the residents of Deer Park have placed in me and for the opportunity to serve a community that means so much to me,” Verzal said in his resignation statement. “Throughout my time in office, I have had the privilege of working alongside dedicated city employees, members of the city council, local businesses, community organizations, and countless residents who share a genuine commitment to making Deer Park a wonderful place to live, work, raise a family, and call home.”

He added, “I am proud of what we have accom- plished together. Every challenge we faced and every success we cele- brated reinforced what makes Deer Park special: the people who care deeply about this community and are willing to work together for its future.” In a previous interview with the Deer Park Tribune, Verzal said he moved to the area in 1986. He owned and operated The Buckaroo Tavern in Deer Park for 10 years and also worked for 7C's Construction for 20 years, doing sewer, water, road building, and demolition. Verzal said he hadn’t originally planned to run for mayor, with his sights first set on Deer Park City Council. “I came to the council meetings, learning, learning, learning,” Verzal said, “Then I grabbed a seat on the council, and then I figured I could run for mayor.”

Verzal had served as mayor for nearly nine years. Some of his accomplishments in his role included opening the splash pad, a project he had worked on for four years, and securing federal and state grant funding for sewer, water, and road building to ad- dress the city’s growth. During a May 20 Deer Park City Council meeting, Verzal shared his diagnosis. At the time, he said he would continue to serve as mayor, although he would be absent from time to time for treatment. Councilmember Billy Costello has since served as Mayor Pro Tem and stepped in to fill the gaps of Verzal’s absence.

According to the city of Deer Park, the city council plans to discuss filling the role of mayor at the next scheduled council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. The council will have 90 days from Sept. 10 to appoint a new mayor who will serve through the end of 2027. Since the next regularly scheduled mayoral election isn't until 2029 (serving 2030- 2033), there will be a two-year mayor position on the 2028 ballot to catch up to the normal mayoral cycle. “I want to sincere- ly thank the residents of Deer Park for allowing me the privilege of serving you,” Verzal said in his statement. “Thank you to everyone who offered their support, shared their concerns and ideas, volunteered their time, and worked alongside me throughout my tenure. I am also deeply grateful to my family for their patience, encouragement, and support during my years of public service.”

He added, “I have great confidence in the continued strength of our community.” The city’s statement said details for a me- morial service honoring Verzal will be “shared at a later date as they become available.” Those details were not available at press time. “Thank you for your service to Deer Park, Mayor Verzal. You will be deeply missed, and your contributions to our community will not be forgotten,” the city’s statement read.