There are several local races occurring in Pflugerville and Hutto as part of the May 7 general election. They include races for the Hutto ISD and Pflugerville ISD boards of trustees as well as Hutto City Council. Included in this May voter guide are important dates to know, voter turnout histories for key elections years in Travis and Williamson counties and extensive interviews with each candidate.

The interviews in the question and answer section of this voter guide have been edited for length and clarity.

Dates to Know

April 25 First day of early voting

April 26 Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked)

May 3 Last day of early voting

May 7 Election day

May 7 Last day to receive ballot by mail (or May 9 if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at location of election)

Sample Ballot

*denotes incumbent

PfISD board of trustees, Place 3

-Renae Mitchell*

-Pat McCord

PfISD board of trustees, Place 4

-Vernagene Mott*

-Corbin Black

PfISD board of trustees, Place 5

-Brian Allen*

-Alissa Molina

Hutto mayor

-Mike Snyder*

-Mandi Villarreal Salvo

Hutto City Council, Place 3

-Ida Weaver

-Randal Clark

Hutto City Council, Place 6

-Amberley Kolar

-Nicole Calderone

Hutto ISD board of trustees

-Billie Logiudice*

-Terrence Owens*

-Ashley McCombs

-Jason McCombs

-Shannon Jacobs

-Stevie Jones
Q&As

Hutto Mayor

Mike Snyder

Mike Snyder


Occupation: Real Estate Manager, QuikTrip Corporation

Experience: 3 years in City Council, 28 years with QuikTrip

Contact: Mike Snyder, [email protected] 512.864.4221

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

My top priorities are cost-of-living and infrastructure issues. In addition to property taxes and water rates, the cost of living remains a big burden on residents, even with 2 years of property tax decreases and the recent 30% drop in water rates. Infrastructure issues include not just the three intersections that we are working on, but also the Live Oak project, the Ed Schmidt/Limmer Loop project, CR137 reconstruction and an upgrade on our parks system.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I have development experience in the commercial sector, as well as business management experience, and I am a small business owner. I understand and live a lot of the issues that are occurring.

Mandi Villarreal Salvo

Mandi Villarreal Salvo


Occupation: Small Business Owner

Experience: I began my professional career working in the office of Rep. Todd Hunter working on policy research and legislation. I then transitioned into higher education administration at the University of Texas at Austin working for both the UT School of Law and the MBA Program. In 2016 I launched my marketing company, Aspire Integrity Marketing. I also served on my local HOA Board of Hyde Park in Austin for 10 years and was involved in the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce as a community business leader. Since moving to Hutto, I briefly served as the vice president of my neighborhood HOA Board in Emory Farms and became a member of the Hutto Area Chamber of Commerce.

Phone number: 737-259-3423

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I seek to maximize our existing water and wastewater assets, create master plans for all infrastructure and capital improvement project areas and raise the standards of our Universal Development Code and Ordinances so they reflect the city as it is today, not how it was 30 years ago

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

Not only have I earned degrees in higher education, but I also have multiple years of legislative experience working at the state legislature to create policy. Additionally, I've served on community and nonprofit boards in the Greater Austin Area for the past 15 years working positively with others to determine the vision, meet goals, and get work done.

Hutto City Council, Place 3

Ida Weaver

Ida Weaver


Occupation: Engineer, retired

Experience: Over 20 years of leadership experience in scientific research and engineering, economic development, nonprofits, homeless ministry and serving on the most recent Hutto City Charter Commission

Phone number: 512-948-0306

Facebook: Ida Gayle Weaver for City Council Place 3

email: [email protected]

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

Hutto must continue our efforts to grow the trust of our Community through accountability and transparency. We must also have continued commitment to a conservative bond debt policy, the "no new revenue" property tax levee and professional budgeting. We must also focus on infrastructure Improvements and managed growth.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I am a critical thinker. I do not let emotion, personalities and feelings affect my decision making. I employ the scientific method: Identify the problem, collect information, craft a hypothesis, test, redefine and fine tune. All the while I consult with other decision makers to develop a workable solution. I worked within a team structure/matrix management system, and I have five years experience with both the Naval Air Systems Command in Washington D.C. and the Internal Revenue Service in Dallas.

Randal Clark

Randal Clark


Occupation: Senior Engineering Manager

Experience: I have over 20 years working in the fast paced Semiconductor field using metric based data to drive decisions using both my Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineer and my MBA.

email: [email protected]

Website: clarkforhutto.com

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I will make it a priority to get an in-town grocery, sit-down upscale restaurants, shopping for anything other than home improvements, and locations to provide family activities so we can live, work and play here as Hutto Hippos. Lastly, I want to see the council drive to completion the water, road and other infrastructure projects already planned but not implemented yet.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I serve on Planning and Zoning as Vice Chair, Chairman of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and I am on the Hutto Economic Development Corporation. As such, I am qualified to step in and contribute right away to continue Hutto moving in the right direction as I am aware of all the different projects, policies and challenges needing to be addressed. I already helped drive adoption of water and traffic impact fees to have new development help pay for new infrastructure.

HUTTO City Council, Place 6

Amberley Kolar

Amberley Kolar


Occupation: Legislative Director

Experience: B.A. in Political Science, M.S. in Global Security Studies, policy analysis

Website: kolarforhutto.com

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I intend to get local government—the city and City Council—to effectively and efficiently work for the residents of Hutto. I will ensure that the city maintains a balanced budget. I will create a comprehensive vision for the future of Hutto with other council members. I will repair, rebuild and redesign our roads and work with the county to make sure that Hutto is at the forefront when it comes to funds for roads.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I am a team player who is excited to serve the current and future needs and interests of Hutto with integrity and openness so that Hutto thrives for years and decades to come. I believe effective local government should focus on policies that are forward-looking, positive and proactive.

Nicole Calderone

Nicole Calderone


Occupation: Food and beverage coordinator

Experience: 30 years in service industry, HOA president, committee Chair and coach

Phone number: 512.751.1702

email: [email protected]

Website: www.nicoleforhutto.com

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I will spend conservatively, through discernment of economic investments, to pay-down debt. I will operate within a lean budget while maintaining city services and preparing for the impacts of growth. I will create an advanced, five-year budget forecast to be used in conjunction with open discussions surrounding the plans for capital improvement projects. I will restore our reputation of high standards and press for accountability if boundaries are crossed.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I’ve been a resident of Hutto for 16 years, and I have volunteered as an HOA President, a committee chairperson, a team coach and a program director. As a fourth-time candidate, I’m not easily discouraged nor afraid to speak about matters of public interest. My institutional knowledge is a beneficial contribution to discussions before action is taken because I recognize what is going well, and I am honest about opportunities to do things differently and seek common ground.

Hutto ISD board of trustess

Billie Logiudice

Billie Logiudice


Occupation: Executive Director with The Sandbox at Madeline's Place

Experience: I have a Bachelors of Art in Education. I am currently a participant in Leadership of Texas Association of School Boards. I have 20 years of non-profit service experience, including leadership positions on several boards

Phone number: 512.818.7993

email: [email protected]

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I will balance our fast growth while maintaining fiscal responsibility and societal demands. I will augment community engagement through communications and committee involvement to increase awareness and build on transparency and trust. I will improve student outcomes and opportunities through accountability and innovation while addressing social and emotional wellbeing

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I have served the Hutto community in a variety of ways over the last 20-plus years, specifically as a Hutto ISD trustee for the last 12 years. I have helped see the district through the economic downturn, making difficult decisions to continue serving students while maintaining a shrinking budget. I have also been a part of the city’s incredibly fast growth and helped meet the challenges that come with serving students, while building buildings and recruiting and retaining staff.

Terrence Owens

Terrence Owens

Occupation:
Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant

Experience: I am in my sixth year as a board trustee for Hutto ISD. As a trustee I have earned over 200 hours of continued education on student outcomes, social emotional learning and achieving gaps. I also have 30 years in the healthcare profession as a home health therapist and am currently serving Williamson County.

email: [email protected]

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I will continue to improve transparency to the community district wide and continue to make myself available for one-on-one conversations. It's very important to me to be approachable and to listen. I will continue to manage the budget, provide a quality education for the 9,000 students in our district and advocate for school finance reform at the legislative level. Being designated as a Fast Growth District comes with many issues that will need to be addressed, from increased enrollment to new facilities.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

My experience over the past 6 years as a trustee qualifies me, as well as my 22 years as a resident of Hutto and servant leader in my community. The network of trustees across the state that I have built allows me to tap into a group of dedicated servant leaders who support public education and provide me with insight.

Ashley McCombs

Ashley McCombs

Occupation:
President of political organization, ministry student, full-time mom of six

Experience: I am a former substitute teacher at Austin ISD and a former Pre-K teacher. I served on a PTA fundraiser committee and served as president of the Williamson County Republican Women. I am a ministry student with Celebration Leadership Institute and a Christian life coach with Celebration Church. I am a former marketing manager for Clearchannel Radio.

email: [email protected]

website: https://mccombsforhuttoisd.godaddysites.com/

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

My main priorities are teachers' well-being and compensation, as well as our students' well-being. I will focus on education and career fundamentals, transparency for our parents, students and staff.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

As a mother of six, I have an understanding of a parent’s need to have open communication and positive leadership on the local school board. I lend a conventional and steady perspective to educational issues. I am committed to quality education for public school students.

Jason McCombs

Jason McCombs

Occupation:
Director of Operations, Top Dog Roofing

Experience: I was the Executive Director of several assisted living facilities.

email: [email protected]

website: https://mccombsforhuttoisd.godaddysites.com/

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

My top priorities if I am elected are to become familiar with the day to day, weekly and monthly operations of the board. I will familiarize myself with the fiscal budget, work on the relationship between the board and the Hutto City Council and gain a better perspective on what is working well and what needs the most attention so that the families and children of Hutto ISD can maximize their potential in our district.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

My career has set me up to be able to work hand in hand with any individual to overcome adversity and create growth. My ability to bring people from all backgrounds together as one unit working toward set goals has helped me excel in my professional and personal life. I look forward to bringing my unique way of thinking to the board.

Shannon Jacobs

Shannon Jacobs

Occupation:
Realtor

Experience: I've served on various PTA’s, committees and athletics boards, including as soccer club president for four years serving over 1,100 children. I am a mother of six kids in Hutto ISD. I’ve also been a very active parent in our district volunteering and serving.

email: [email protected]

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

Transparency and communication are my top priorities. We need to do better as a district to share our budget and spending with our parents and stakeholders. I feel we as a district need to make a huge effort in the coming years to establish a better level of communication with our community.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

As a mother of six I have seen our district from all grade levels. I’ve been able to serve at multiple levels and see the programs and interests of many different students. Because of this, I feel I offer a unique perspective and bring a new voice to the table. I’ve been heavily involved in our district since 2015. I’m a realtor in our community, and I have a first-hand view of the growth we are facing as a district. I’m a level-headed, common sense mom who’s ready to take on this challenge and step up for my community.

Stevie Jones

Stevie Jones

Occupation:
Residential mortgage loan originator

Experience: 11 years of teaching early education, currently work in finance

email: [email protected]

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

My top priorities will be transparency and accountability. We must get better at answering questions and concerns where the education, safety and future of our students are concerned. We need to find better ways for everyone to be informed and up to date on the events of the district.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I am a lifetime Hutto resident and second-generation Hutto ISD graduate. I am a longtime advocate for quality education for all. My fight began right here as a senior in Hutto High School. I believe that every student is deserving of not just quality education, but the best education. I have watched my old schools grow and develop some of the most amazing programs available to students. I will continue to advocate for every student to have the tools to become whatever they desire and accomplish their goals and dreams.

PFISD PFISD Board of Trustees, Place 3

Renae Mitchell

Renae Mitchell


Occupation: Human resources director

Experience: Human resources, executive coach, TEA educational trainer and coach, community leader

email: [email protected]

Website: http://Re.ElectRenaeMitchell4PfISD.org

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

At PfISD, we've faced challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and performed admirably. In continuation with our efforts, my top priorities as a continuing PfISD school board member will be students’ mental health and wellness; getting our students back to school; tackling learning loss due to COVI-19 and teacher retention. I'm here to help identify available resources to assist with the needs of our students, parents, teachers, staff and the community.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I am vested in the success of the district as a parent of a current PfISD student and a PfISD graduate. I have and will continue to listen to the needs of our students, parents, and the community. In addition, my passion for education, paired with my own parental life experiences in preparing students to graduate and be successful in their post-graduate goals, make me uniquely qualified to advocate on the behalf of our students and families..

Pat McCord

Occupation: self employed photographer, semi-retired tech executive, technology consultant

Experience: U.S. Navy veteran, 32 years in the semiconductor Industry as a quality manager and executive leadership

Phone number: 512-922-0999

email: [email protected]

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I will focus on the classroom and ensure that all students are getting an education that will carry them to and through college or trade school. With the challenges of COVID and virtual learning, a clear evaluation needs to be a part of the determination that students are on-track and learning at the grade level expected. Additionally, the impact of staffing shortages has put tremendous pressure on teachers and support staff. Our focus in this area will be needed, as well as teacher and community input, for possible solutions.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

No person is uniquely qualified for this position. The range of the assignment and the responsibilities of the board are to work with the administration to study, evaluate and recommend possible directions for improvement. As a member of the board, you work as a group, pulling on unique qualities of all the members.

PFISD Board of Trustees, Place 4

Vernagene Mott

Vernagene Mott


Occupation: Retired HS math/chemistry teacher; church organist/keyboardist

Experience: 18 years with the PfISD board (officer multiple term/standing committees); Central Texas School Board Association charter founder/officer; Texas Association of School Boards(TASB) director for 13 years, Pflugerville Education Foundation charter board member.

email: [email protected]

512-431-1942

Facebook: Mott for Pflugerville ISD Trustee

Twitter: @Mott4PfISD

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I will focus on advancement of academic outcomes pertaining to recruiting and retaining experienced master teachers and principals. I will prioritize financial operations, especially the creation of an efficient, effective, equitable, accountable, transparent and balanced budget with sustainable programs and practices. I will work to preserve a high bond rating.

I will focus on community support and engagement, and I will continue to value PfISD as a destination public school system where recognized staff, students, and programs brilliantly reflect excellence on every diverse campus. I will fight for local control and timely collaboration with the Texas Education Agency and lawmakers.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I have a heart for student and staff success, and I engage in campus events, including multicultural, literacy, fine arts, athletic and academic student activities. I am an experienced master trustee, and I focus on community engagement.

Corbin Black

Corbin Black


Occupation: Senior Software Engineer

Experience: Six years of software engineering

email: [email protected]

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

My top priorities include supporting our teachers and students in addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I will focus on social development and educational gaps and make sure all of our students feel safe and welcome in our schools. I will work to ensure that we preserve the learning resources available to our students for self enrichment.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I come from a technology background working as a senior software engineer. I appreciate that our teachers of today are teaching for jobs that may not exist yet or are just emerging. Kids today have always had unparalleled levels of technology in their lives. To be an effective leader in education, a person should have an understanding of how technology changes and how to adapt as it changes.

PfISD Board of Trustess, Place 5

Brian Allen

Brian Allen


Occupation: Human resources director

Experience: 25-plus years of teaching, coaching, and mentoring; school board secretary; serve on the finance, policy, and safety & security committees; board member of the Pflugerville Education Foundation; former instructor for leadership academies which include law enforcement agencies

email: [email protected]

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I will focus on academic achievement, recruiting and retaining highly-skilled and experienced educators. I will ensure every member of our district feels comfortable to teach, coach, mentor and learn. I will manage tax dollars efficiently while maintaining program quality, managing state funding and championing our district.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I feel my 24 years of military experience and leadership are great contributions. My strong leadership skills have allowed me to be a part of and contribute to many significant things, not just in the district, but also in the community. I am a critical thinker who is knowledgeable in operational/short term and strategic/long term operations to make well informed decisions. I am dedicated to achieving success by communicating, collaborating, and cooperating with others. I am a team player who will always place the needs of others above my own.

Alissa Molina

Alissa Molina


Occupation: Writer/Speaker/Publisher

Experience: Degree in education from the University of Texas at Austin; former AISD Teacher; more than 10 years working with middle and high school teens and tweens in youth ministry; more than 12 years in PFISD school communities through various roles, including PTO president at two different PFISD campuses, substitute teacher, booster club member and PFISD volunteer serving in numerous capacities.

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Alissa Molina For Pflugerville Board of Trustees Place 5

Instagram: Molinaforpfisd5

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

I am looking forward to working in collaboration with the other trustees and the superintendent in continuing to create a robust PFISD response to the extensive learning gaps incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am interested in finding creative ways to support our incredible teachers and staff members as they work tirelessly to meet the increasing demands created not only by these learning gaps, but also by the various legislative bills, state tests, dire social-emotional needs of students and additional duties they have taken on due to the staffing shortage.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

My background in education, as well as my close connection to several schools in PFISD for the last decade, give me a unique understanding of the incredible demands of public education. It is not easy to try to educate everyone, but I truly believe this is what makes public education so special. We have the distinct privilege of welcoming all students of all backgrounds and abilities. In a time and climate where communities are becoming increasingly polarized and siloed, my 19 years living in Pflugerville has shown me that we are a community committed to honoring differences. I am proud that my connections and relationships span the entire district, and I believe this will help me bring folks together to work for every student and every teacher.

Voter Turnout

Williamson County

2012 presidential: 64.62% / 164,579 turnout / 254,688 registered voters

2014 gubernatorial: 38.31% / 104,464 turnout / 272,649 registered voters

2016 presidential: 67.10% / 205,862 turnout / 306,811 registered voters

2018 gubernatorial: 62.25% / 209,257 turnout / 336,148 registered voters

2020 presidential: 75.64% / 291,251 turnout / 385,065 registered voters

Travis County

2012 presidential: 61.66% / 391,708 turnout / 635,300 registered voters

2014 gubernatorial: 41.38% / 270,005 turnout / 652,463 registered voters

2016 presidential: 65.24% / 477,588 turnout / 732,037 registered voters

2018 gubernatorial: 61.78% / 486,616 turnout / 787,670 registered voters

2020 presidential: 71.06% / 612,696 turnout / 862,163 registered voters