4 questions with West Lake Hills City Council candidates

Why are you running for the West Lake Hills City Council?

West Lake Hills has been my hometown for most of my life. Its natural beauty; rural, small-town culture (within a stone's throw of ATX) and its interesting and friendly residents combine to create a rare and wonderful environment. I've been honored to serve on our City Council since 2017 as we've worked successfully to establish a sound, fiscal base; complete the extensive widening of Bee Cave Road; 'weather' two damaging winter storms plus a pandemic; and launch design and construction of a new, bond-sponsored City Hall/Police Station Complex that will provide residents both easy access and opportunity for community gatherings. I'd love nothing more than to continue to serve my friends and fellow residents.

What is your biggest/top priority?

Creating more open and active communication is my personal priority - communication between the City and its residents and among neighborhood groups. Our City staff is constantly monitoring and upgrading security alert systems and general website information. I would like to work more closely with staff to improve our various communication mediums to ensure residents have the best and most relevant community news and information.

What is the biggest issue facing West Lake Hills currently?

Like most municipalities during these strained financial times, it's challenging to discover the right mix of business development within an environmentally-sensitive and landlocked, small city. I look forward to that challenge.

If elected, what is the first thing you would want to accomplish?

To continue my communications efforts, I will work with our city secretary and Police Department's administrative coordinator to enhance our quarterly newsletter and our social media presence.

Why are you running for the West Lake Hills City Council?

I am a custom homebuilder. I think it’s paramount to have a builder be on City Council. Not only can I be the eyes and ears of the neighborhood, assisting city staff in making sure the rules are followed, but I can also be of assistance to the citizens with questions and concerns in making sure West Lake Hills can only get better as time passes. Just so you’re clear, a custom homebuilder does not build homes for sale. That’s a speculative builder, or spec builder. A custom homebuilder only builds homes for citizens who went through the city's review and were issued a permit. I build homes for families and not homes for sale.

What is your biggest/top priority?

Making sure our utilities always work. Always. This is West Lake Hills in 2023. No more pump stations losing power. No more electrical outages. Not on my watch.

What is the biggest issue facing West Lake Hills currently?

All of my neighbors want staycation homes. They have plenty of money and want swimming pools, or mother-in-law suites for ailing family, or to bring their homes up to modern square footages so they can have dedicated home offices, or homework areas, or home gyms. They are all very frustrated by how hard the process is, how long it takes and conflicting answers they receive from inquiries.

If elected, what is the first thing you would want to accomplish?

I would pay, out of my own pocket, to build a website with incredible ease of use so the citizens of West Lake Hills can be heard. Want to donate and get a tax write-off for a new West Lake Hills sign at the McDonald’s on Bee Caves Road? I’m on it. Think wild flowers along Bee Caves Road would be so much prettier if the whole stretch was lush, trimmed, cleaned up and lovely? Consider it done. Jealous of Rollingwood Park? I will work with the city to find a spot where we can have our own place to take our kids, drink coffee and become an even better community. Want to donate a swing set and get the write-off? Great! I’ll get guys who are insured, on the cheap, to install it, spread crushed granite, run a water line to a community herb garden with netting to protect against the deer, all before the weekend gets here. I will make public how every penny is used, and I will make sure not one nickel is taken for overhead, payroll or any number of other sneaky stuff. No more status quo. No more getting nothing done. Let’s get West Lake Hills back to being the best neighborhood. Lastly, retired and on a fixed budget and worried changes mean upsetting your monetary balance? Never. You are the cornerstone of this neighborhood and life. I look forward to learning from you and your life’s experiences on the new park bench butrnshould you have other concerns, I’ll respond to your email within an hour.