Candidate responses may have been edited for length, style and clarity.
Barbara Fleming
Occupation: retired
Residence: lived in Highland Village 45 years
Daniel Jaworski
Occupation: cybersecurity manager
Residence: lived in Highland Village eight years
Why are you running for office?
Fleming: Candidate did not respond to requests for comment.
Jaworski: As someone who grew up in Highland Village, I have a unique perspective on what our community has always been about. I want to make sure it stays that way for everyone who has chosen to raise their families here. Highland Village is a very special place and has given me so much throughout my life. Serving on boards and commissions—especially planning and zoning, then five years on City Council and as mayor—going forward, I feel called to serve to say, "Thank you," to this community. I'm also running for mayor because the next two years will be critical in shaping what our city is going to look like for the next 10-20 years. I believe the next mayor must be an experienced leader who can hit the ground running. We must work hard to ensure our city’s identity and values of community.
What are the biggest challenges facing the city?
Fleming: Candidate did not respond to requests for comment.
Jaworski: I believe that there are two real challenges facing our city. First, projections for the next few years suggest that we will see revenues tighten while expenditures continue to grow (through inflation). We will be faced with a need to find new sources of revenue (expand our sales tax revenue) and potentially tighten our budget further. Second, we will be navigating changes/updates to the Comprehensive Plan and our Parks and Trails Master Plan over the next year. It will be critical to ensure we protect our long-standing, community-based values while we make decisions about what our city will look like in the future. Our neighbors chose Highland Village for their families, and they’ve come to expect a certain level of service. The next mayor must be a proactive and experienced leader in protecting those values and upholding those expectations.
If elected, what would be your top priorities?
Fleming: Candidate did not respond to requests for comment.
Jaworski: My top priorities as the next mayor of Highland Village will be to preserve what makes our community special to our neighbors through this next period of change and final build-out while also ensuring the city’s long-term economic stability.
What are some new ideas or programs you would like the city to explore?
Fleming: Candidate did not respond to requests for comment.
Jaworski: As we review our comprehensive plan, a significant part of that plan will involve the FM 407 corridor. There are a lot of retail properties along that corridor that have become dated. In the past, our city has not fully explored partnerships with retail property owners, which encourage them to update their properties. I believe we must be willing to at least have those conversations, determine ways we can work together to improve those entry points to our city and help attract new businesses to those properties. With flourishing retail on the west side, it is time to visit revitalizing the east side of our city. It’s a win/win for us and the businesses in Highland Village.
