DFW
Grapevine mayor
William D. Tate
Occupation: Mayor of Grapevine
Experience: Over 50 years as a lawyer on Main Street, Grapevine city attorney, councilman and mayor. Named Citizen of the Year, Distinguished Southern by Southern Living Magazine, received the Ted Willhoite Legacy Award, a LifeTime Achievement Award from the Fort Worth Builders Association, been named to the GCISD Walk of Fame and Distinguish Alumni, the Boy Scouts of America Silver Eagle Award, the Texas Travel Association’s Hospitality Award, Star –Telegram’s Best Local Official, and Who’s Who in City Government.
Contact: https://votegrapevine.com/
Why are you rerunning for office?
WT: We depend on sales tax to support city services because about two-thirds of our land is tax-exempt, lying within the DFW Airport, Grapevine Lake, highways, schools, churches, and other non-profits. Our sales taxes have suffered as the result of the pandemic because the tax is produced by retail and hospitality which have been hard hit by the economy. It is not a good time for me to abandon the city and change leadership. I fully support our business community that produces our sales tax.
Furthermore, short-term rentals (STR’s) threaten the enjoyment of our quiet single-family neighborhoods. I do not believe these businesses have a place in our single-family neighborhoods. Like a fish out of water, they don’t belong there. If deed restrictions and zoning can’t stop them then other businesses will also invade our neighborhoods. They will destroy our property values, years of good planning, and our family’s right to enjoy life. I oppose them. Airport noise cones limit where we can put single-family instead of multifamily and commercial.
Furthermore, short-term rentals (STR’s) threaten the enjoyment of our quiet single-family neighborhoods. I do not believe these businesses have a place in our single-family neighborhoods. Like a fish out of water, they don’t belong there. If deed restrictions and zoning can’t stop them then other businesses will also invade our neighborhoods. They will destroy our property values, years of good planning, and our family’s right to enjoy life. I oppose them. Airport noise cones limit where we can put single-family instead of multifamily and commercial.
If elected, what would be your top three priorities?
WT: 1. Support our business to get our economy going again, so we can preserve our low ad valorem tax rate, give our employees the raise that they deserve, renew our festivals and celebrations, develop local training for paramedics, promote our heritage and the arts, increase the level of city services to our citizens, and return life to what we consider normal.
2. Continue to fight for good planning in our city, to keep our single-family residential neighborhoods free from intrusive STR‘s, to maintain a balance between day time retail and night time food and beverage establishments on historic Main Street to spread limited parking over longer periods of time to more customers, to encourage office buildings as an alternative to apartments on undeveloped land and to finish locating large economic development projects which are interested in locating in Grapevine.
3. Develop our Railroad District along Dallas Road to encourage new commercial development that will help support Main Street and add greater mass to our Central Business District and to encourage the public to use Tex Rail as an alternative to our congested highways.
2. Continue to fight for good planning in our city, to keep our single-family residential neighborhoods free from intrusive STR‘s, to maintain a balance between day time retail and night time food and beverage establishments on historic Main Street to spread limited parking over longer periods of time to more customers, to encourage office buildings as an alternative to apartments on undeveloped land and to finish locating large economic development projects which are interested in locating in Grapevine.
3. Develop our Railroad District along Dallas Road to encourage new commercial development that will help support Main Street and add greater mass to our Central Business District and to encourage the public to use Tex Rail as an alternative to our congested highways.
What do you see as the city's role in addressing the coronavirus pandemic?
WT: The governor has given the cities of Texas a very limited role in the war against the pandemic, reserving most of the authority and duties to the governor and to the county judges. We will continue to lobby the governor to give city officials a greater role in the future. In the meantime, we will work with other government agencies to make sure the vaccines are available as soon as possible to our citizens and where they are available. We will continue to monitor and assist the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce in advising what private and government assistant programs are available to our citizens to make sure they take advantage of those badly deeded opportunities. We will continue to advertise on television and radio periodically to encourage citizens and visitors to shop and dine in Grapevine. We encourage people to use good judgment in getting vaccinated and to use proper practices with masks, social distancing and hygiene. Local government cannot solve all of our problems. We each have to do our part and depend on the expertise of the State and Federal governments to monitor and advise us.
Nick Kaufman
Occupation: Business owner
Experience: Over 20 years of management and leadership experience, opened Wine Fusion Winery in 2014, Red Cross volunteer, Disaster Program Manager Volunteer Partner for Dallas County.
Contact: https://www.nickforgrapevine.com/
Why are you running for office?
NK: I’m running for office because I believe the people of this town have a voice and deserve to be heard. I want to help our residents be more involved in the decision-making process. I will communicate regularly, and will seek feedback often. Our city has grown by tens of thousands over the last decade and the Mayor’s role is a job that needs passion, energy, and progressive thinking. People want to see their Mayor as active in the community. Someone that will adapt and initiate new technologies which will continue to reduce operating costs and taxes. Since our city is run by the City Manager, a big role of the Mayor is to communicate with residents, and then support our City Manager with feedback. The best way to successfully solicit feedback from an entire community is to actively survey the community. We have 55,000 residents and a very diverse community. I am running because I want to include everyone in the conversation. I promise to be very accessible. You can find me on social media daily or just stop by Wine Fusion Winery to say “hi.” You will always be treated like family.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities?
NK: 1. Bringing true servant leadership to our council by working with them on all issues of the city as a team. Every voice is important and should be treated with respect. The main goal of leadership is to serve, not to dictate. We have struggled over the last year and we need support from our city leaders. Entitlement has no place in the service of others. Servant leaders invest in the development of others.
2. Family First because I am a family man. We will create core values based on the feedback of residents. My desire is to have “family first” as one of our strongest core values. I want to put the residents and local businesses back first over tourism and big business. It is the people of Grapevine and the small-town charm we create together that makes us special.
3. City Planning – We have so many opportunities for the remaining development of our city. We need a plan that will strengthen growth and promote valuable businesses to our community. Entering our city from Northwest Hwy., you see litter and roads that need work. Our city council has allowed so many “big businesses” into this area limiting the ability for our small businesses to compete on a level field, forcing more and more small businesses to close. Empty buildings do not promote the success of our city. South Grapevine businesses must also be supported and not forgotten. We all win together.
2. Family First because I am a family man. We will create core values based on the feedback of residents. My desire is to have “family first” as one of our strongest core values. I want to put the residents and local businesses back first over tourism and big business. It is the people of Grapevine and the small-town charm we create together that makes us special.
3. City Planning – We have so many opportunities for the remaining development of our city. We need a plan that will strengthen growth and promote valuable businesses to our community. Entering our city from Northwest Hwy., you see litter and roads that need work. Our city council has allowed so many “big businesses” into this area limiting the ability for our small businesses to compete on a level field, forcing more and more small businesses to close. Empty buildings do not promote the success of our city. South Grapevine businesses must also be supported and not forgotten. We all win together.
What do you see as the city's role in addressing the coronavirus pandemic?
NK: The city’s role is always safety first. The city must ensure that any policy it passes does not infringe on our residents’ constitutional rights. I can tell you adamantly that I would not have supported the shut-down of businesses in Grapevine. I would have fought tirelessly for the businesses that were closed by the Governor and I would not have backed down. All businesses are essential to someone. The city’s role is to support the local businesses but unfortunately, we did not see this during the last year. Grapevine was the only city around us that did not launch any programs to help local businesses. We saw other cities do low-cost programs like putting up signs reminding people to shop local, doing video posts on social media, highlighting local establishments, and creating web pages where businesses could advertise specials. Some cities, like Colleyville, even sent out gift cards to residents to spend locally. The city’s role is to protect all residents and to support our businesses. Daily communications to keep people informed, assessing the needs of our community and initiating a plan to act swiftly fulfilling the demands of our community in any crisis should be the number one priority of the Mayor and City Council.
Editor’s Note: Some candidate answers may have been edited to remove language that has not been verified.
Editor’s Note: Some candidate answers may have been edited to remove language that has not been verified.
