Community Impact Newspaper sent Nakamura a series of questions about her candidacy. This article is part of ongoing May 4 election coverage and does not constitute an endorsement of the candidate. Her written responses, edited for publication style, are below.
Why did you decide to run for this office?
Colleyville and its future have never looked better. I’m running for a second and final term to ensure all of the “citizen-first” reforms we implemented the past three years with the help from the community and our outstanding city staff are permanently institutionalized. We want Colleyville to keep moving forward and not retreat to the past closed system of government we had that was controlled by a small number of longtime city insiders.
What experience—professionally or politically—do you have that would prepare you for this position?
I am extraordinarily proud of the accomplishments of this past term. We had an extremely ambitious agenda three years ago and solved many of the bigger issues facing our community.
We revised the controversial 2015 Comprehensive Plan to return to our historical residential density calculations and definitions; we eliminated the city profit on residents' water bills, which was effectively a hidden tax; we reduced the property tax rate three straight years for the first time in city history in order to help our residents mitigate appraisal increases; we fixed roads all over town that were neglected for too long; and, most importantly, successfully advanced comprehensive ethics and transparency city charter reforms, including term limits that passed by huge 87-13 percent margins in the largest election in city history.
Lastly, we made purposeful and deliberate changes to the culture at City Hall to reflect the “citizen-first” model. These changes included a talent infusion, including our outstanding city manager, Jerry Ducay, that have resulted in the highest service levels Colleyville residents have ever experienced. Our amazing staff is a huge reason we were able to successfully navigate the Colleyville Boulevard redevelopment while growing our sales tax base 4 percent in 2018.
What do you think is one of the biggest issues facing Colleyville, and how do you plan to address it on City Council?
Going forward, we need to continue to balance smart, purposeful growth with the impact to our existing residents and businesses. We are nearing completion of the Colleyville Boulevard redevelopment project, which will transform our commercial corridor. We will need to make smart decisions on how to best manage the explosive growth that is coming to our little town’s Main Street.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
My husband, Yuki, and I have lived in Colleyville since 1999 when we moved here for our incredible [Grapevine-Colleyville ISD] schools to enroll our daughter Natalia (30) and our son Nico (26). Colleyville is a very unique city, and when running for my first term three years ago I vowed to base my decisions on what the people of Colleyville wanted, and I can proudly say that I have done just that. Again, I could not be prouder of Colleyville and the work we have done together, and I’m counting on your support so that I can continue to do this important work.
More information about Nakamura and her campaign can be found here.
