Pflugerville City Council, Place 5 candidate profiles

[caption id="attachment_96005" align="alignleft" width="220"]Election2015-Hero-RPH Mike Heath[/caption]

Mike Heath

Occupation: engineer Years lived in city: 20-plus years www.MikeHeath.org

Top Priorities

Economic growth, support of local businesses, public safety, improvement of infrastructure and city services

Why are you running for City Council?

As a longtime resident I understand the challenges that Pflugerville has faced and the challenges that we will face in the future. I want to help make the right choices where Pflugerville will be a place where my children want to continue raising my grandchildren and that my grandchildren will want to live and work when they grow up. This requires someone like me who cares about the community as much as I do.

What challenges does the city of Pflugerville face?

In one word, growth and more growth (actually four words). Pflugerville is not the sleepy little Austin suburb that it used to be. People moving into town are demanding more city services. Significant debt, allocation of seemingly abundant resources, continued growth for the foreseeable future and maintaining aged infrastructure are our biggest challenges.

How would you address those challenges?

Working with the other City Council members, I would like us to reconstitute Pflugerville’s Strategic Plan. Previous Strategic Plans were developed to make sure that Pflugerville could provide basic services through some rough times.
[caption id="attachment_96006" align="alignleft" width="220"]Election2015-Hero-RPH Rudy Metayer[/caption]

Rudy Metayer

Occupation: attorney Years lived in city: 4.5 years www.vote4rudy.com

Top Priorities

Economic development, environmental sustainability, transportation and mobility, youth and families, public safety

Why are you running for City Council?

As a young professional who is heavily involved in many programs and organizations in this city, I have had a unique opportunity to help serve the citizens of this community in a variety of ways. I decided this opportunity was the next step to serve my community at a higher level. I have seen how government can improve the lives of people. I want to continue doing the same as a councilman in Pflugerville.

What challenges does the city of Pflugerville face?

Maintaining Pflugerville’s high quality of life while managing the tremendous population growth. We need to keep the infrastructure and services at an optimum level while also being responsible in our spending. Additionally, we need to continue lowering the property tax rate, strengthen our relationship with Pflugerville ISD, improve our public recreational facilities and better serve our senior community.

How would you address those challenges?

By listening to the citizens of Pflugerville and utilizing taxpayer funds in a manner that will have the biggest impact on the community and leveraging that impact to help set the foundation for other initiatives that will continue to serve all of us.   *Incumbent | Answers have been edited for clarity and space.