Local · Trusted · Free
The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
Juanita Simmons and Stan Donaldson will run for Montgomery City Council Place 5.
Early voting will begin April 24 with election day polls open May 6 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at Montgomery City Hall, located at 101 Old Plantersville Road, Montgomery. The last day to register to vote is April 6.
Why are you running for election?
[I am running] to utilize my business and professional experience to help this historic city meet the demands of a growing city. We must be proactive in preparing to meet those demands in order to keep taxes low, yet have the ability to upgrade the infrastructure needs. We must encourage businesses to our city and provide the support that they and our existing businesses need to be successful.
What do you hope to accomplish in your term?
[I hope to accomplish] that the new city administration and council members can work together to plan, fund and construct the infrastructure needed to meet the projected growth.
How will you help the city of Montgomery balance its small-town roots with continual growth and development?
[We] must support and encourage them. The city’s plan to revitalize parts of the historic district would be paramount to bring in customers to support those businesses, yet keep that small-town feel alive. We need to make that vision a reality.
What do you believe is the most important issue in the city, and what action would you take to respond to it?
Finding solutions to provide the sewage, water and transportation needs of a city that is quickly outgrowing its aging infrastructure [is an important issue]. To resolve that problem, the City Council, city administration and engineers must work together to allocate funds, and/or find resources and grants to build out the needed infrastructure. We must research and secure other revenue sources other than taxing our already overtaxed citizens.
How do you plan to help improve transportation efforts?
There are city, county and state roads within the city limits of Montgomery. We must work with the different agencies to resolve the transportation needs of this city.
Why are you running for election?
[I am running] to collaborate with existing council members and city staff on the importance of having a safe place for our children, citizens, businesses and visitors to enjoy. [I am running] to maintain essential city services for a healthy living environment. [I am running] to maintain the beauty of our parks and recreational facilities.
What do you hope to accomplish in your term?
[I hope to accomplish] transparency, efficiency and unity.
How will you help the city of Montgomery balance its small town roots with continual growth and development?
Keep the historical ambience in place by adhering to the ordinances established by the city and concentrate on infrastructure to keep pace or exceed the growth projections.
What do you believe is the most important issue in the city, and what action would you take to respond to it?
Communication. We are here to serve people. Agreement of the city leadership is imperative to advance the issues of the citizens and business owners. Love your neighbor.
How do you plan to help improve transportation efforts?
I see no vision except for the need to build up our infrastructure to make it safe for citizens, businesses and visitors to navigate our city. To that end, we must appropriate funds coming to our county from the state government and TxDOT.
