Sugar Land mayoral candidates attended a forum April 13 sponsored by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Bend Voters League. Candidates Lloyd Myatt Hancock, Joe Zimmerman, Harish Jajoo and Kyle Stanley shared their visions for the city at Sugar Creek Country Club. Candidate Sarwar Khan was absent. Questions touched upon infrastructure, city diversity and attracting new businesses. “Because [City Council] operates like a business … we balance risk and opportunity,” Zimmerman said. He cited Nalco Champion and Schlumberger’s moves to Sugar Land and the city’s investments of tax revenue to help facilitate those developments as models to follow. “It’s a deliberate approach to using those funds, both 4A and 4B, about $2.6 million flows into each,” he said “And focusing on the tradeoffs.” Hancock advocated a methodical strategy for development and bringing new businesses to Sugar Land. A balance of manufacturing and high-end retail was preferable, he said. “Are we going to be able to attract the kind of retail you see in places like The Woodlands, or are we going to be more strip centers and multifamily,” he asked. “I think we all need to remember we’re not interested in growth for growth’s sake.” All four candidates agreed that infrastructure was critical to maintaining quality of life, but Stanley said the city needed to prioritize its projects. Areas near Hwys. 6 and 59, as well reducing flooding should come first for funding, he said. “The [pressing] challenge that we have when it comes to flood control warrants the need to constantly improve our drainage,’” Stanley said. “That is a bigger concern than simply tearing up a perfectly fine road in a residential street that’s not [heavily] travelled.” Moderators also asked candidates how they would build on the city’s diversity. Jajoo said City Council needed to look for opportunities to reach out to community groups with different backgrounds to participate in public agencies. “We have a lot of examples of [diverse people] who believe in public service,” he said. “We’ve got to set a goal [of] how do we increase that.”