Winston Edmondson is running for mayor of Lewisville. He will run against Rudy Durham and Penny Mallet in the citywide election May 5. Community Impact Newspaper sent Edmondson a series of questions on his candidacy. His written responses, edited for publication style, are below.
  1. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Lewisville? I'm concerned about crime in Lewisville. Especially property crimes, where citizens' homes and vehicles are burglarized, and their packages are stolen right from their doorstep. But I've spoken about that topic a lot during this campaign. I'd like to take this opportunity to discuss another issue that's just as important to me. We have a problem with barriers to civic engagement, which I believe is one of the factors that leads to our abysmal voter turnout. Citizens who want to get involved have to apply to get on city boards and committees, wait for an existing board member to resign and then hope to get nominated by a council member. For many, it feels like an exclusive club that they have little hope of gaining access to. We have residents who want to serve, but they can't. If citizens are made to feel like we don't really want or need their participation, they may not feel like it's necessary to participate in City Council elections, either. We typically get about 2 percent voter participation—one of the worst turnout rates in the area. We can do better than that. We have to do better than that.
  2. What are your plans to fix this issue? As mayor I plan on establishing a number of open committees that citizens can join and contribute to as soon as they feel inspired to get involved. I will continually engage with citizens in person, via social media, or whatever their preferred communication method may be and encourage them to get involved. There are so many things we can accomplish together. I'd like to get our Lewisville creatives on a committee to help put together an annual yearbook for the city of Lewisville. This print-on-demand book would commemorate the events and accomplishments we experience each year, and it wouldn't cost the city a penny. We could even create digital versions for tablets that could include videos and audio. Imagine, 10 years from now, flipping through Lewisville's 2018 yearbook with your grandchildren and showing them all the interesting things that took place in our city, like photos of the wild peacocks walking around our neighborhoods. I want to do a better job of telling the story of Lewisville, and I want to work with citizens on these open committees to do that.
  3. If elected, what will be your top priorities? I want to focus on reducing crime with my Keep Lewisville Safe initiative. Part of my program involves educating citizens about a number of measures they can take to help reduce crime in their neighborhoods. I also want to explore the possibility of establishing a Lewisville Police Reserve Force, which would allow us to benefit from retired law-enforcement officers who are willing to volunteer their time to help make our city safer. They are an untapped resource in our community. Citizens can learn more about these initiatives at http://electwinston.com/safe.html I also want to focus on increasing civic engagement, promoting government transparency, and creating a culture of service in Lewisville. What's exciting to me is the way these priorities can be addressed. I want to help establish an annual benefit concert, where we can all come together at Wayne Ferguson Plaza and enjoy great music while raising money for a good cause. We could have a committee made up of citizens to help put this together each year, which increases civic engagement and furthers my goal of creating a culture of service.
  4. Where do you see Lewisville in the next five years? I'm excited about the future here in Lewisville. The Vision 2025 plan is underway, and citizens are looking forward to what we have in store. I've noticed that many of our Lewisville residents aren't familiar with some of the great things that we have in the works. As mayor I'll be an active presence in the community, out and about around the city as well as online and on social media, to make sure people are informed. It's important to connect with people where they are, and for an ever-growing segment of our population, that's online.
  5. What will you do to ensure Lewisville keeps growing economically and crime declines? As mayor I plan on making myself available to our economic development team, to help them close deals and bring investments to Lewisville. I also plan on seeking out businesses that I believe will thrive in our city. Entertainment and destination-type businesses that don't have to compete with online retailers like Amazon[.com Inc.]. I'm concerned about all the vacant commercial properties in Lewisville, and I'll work hard to address that problem.
I've noticed that some individuals focus on our violent crime statistics and police response times when speaking about keeping Lewisville safe. I'm just as concerned with property crime. Citizens have a right to feel that their homes, vehicles and belongings are safe. Neighborhoods that suffer from property crime can get a reputation for it. That causes residents to move away, which reduces property values, and that can lead to even more crime. It's important to look at our crime-prevention measures in addition to our police response times. That's what inspired my Keep Lewisville Safe initiative. I want to explore the possibility of establishing a Lewisville Police Reserve Force that could help increase our crime-prevention activities. I also want to help educate citizens about a number of measures they can take to help reduce crime in their neighborhoods. I want to thank Lewisville citizens for reading about all the candidates in Community Impact Newspaper, and I'd like to remind you that early voting starts this Monday. I'm asking for your vote, and I'm asking you to encourage your friends and family to vote for Winston Edmondson for Lewisville mayor. I'm looking forward to working with each of you.