LO: In Plano, I rediscovered treasures that I thought were lost forever. They are simple things, such as stating an opinion without fear of being canceled, expressing faith openly without being labeled, or raising children without state interference. We don’t appreciate how precious these are until they are gone. I know how freedoms were eroded. It happened slowly. It can happen here. I cannot bear to lose these treasures again. As a retired empty nester, now is the perfect time for me to do my civic duty: to work full-time, to serve and to be vigilant. My husband and I agree—retirement can wait.

LO: I earned a doctorate in economics studying the works of scholars, like Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman. Economics shows that prosperity requires three elements: well-defined property rights, a transparent rule of law and sovereign individuals making choices. With these elements, individual self-interest is redirected to pleasing customers, conserving resources and offering innovations at lowest price. A government that doesn’t understand these elements can inadvertently impede prosperity. As mayor, I will evaluate policies to assure that they don’t weaken property rights, undermine the rule of law or constrain individual choice.

I spent 30 years in academia, 15 of those years as chair of the department of economics. I have extensive experience as an active member on committees, including strategic planning, policymaking and budget committees. I created innovative programs, raised over a million dollars, efficiently incorporated technology and, against all the odds, succeeded in changing the workflow to allow professors more time to mentor students. I am a strong advocate and experienced public speaker.

The university was my day job. I was also a founding board member of two Hispanic foundations. I am currently a board member of Goodwill Silicon Valley, one of the largest and most successful Goodwill organizations in the state. My continued service on high-caliber nonprofit boards provides experience in corporate governance, audits, transparency and all aspects of business decision-making. For a girl born and raised in East Los Angeles, I’ve accomplished much in service to others. One enduring legacy from my roots is a compulsion to be resourceful with every dollar of public funds because I know those dollars come from struggling taxpayers, like my parents. As a mayor, I [would be] comfortable and experienced working with C-level business professionals, entrepreneurs, multimillionaires and hardworking people from all races.

LO: Plano residents consider traffic congestion a major problem; it’s right up there with taxes. Some congestion is due to development, some from increasing populations in adjacent cities and some from road repair. There are only two congestion-reducing options: reduce the number of cars at peak traffic times and/or drive at constant rates of speed. Implementing these options requires creative problem-solving, alignment of incentives and collaboration with adjacent cities.

We cannot address congestion without incorporating maintenance issues. Road maintenance is the largest component of a $403.9 million dollar bond package proposed for the 2021 ballot. If the referendum passes, the 2025 tax rate goes from 44.82 cents to 47.98 cents. This is on top of a $44.7 million bond passed in 2019 and a $220.6 million bond passed in 2017.

Borrowing is not the problem. My concern is that only a few Plano residents were consulted regarding prioritizing items that would be in this 2021 bond package. Council members tried to move items into separate lines for voter consideration but were stopped. Voters make tradeoffs according to their budget constraints and preferences. For example, a school bond may also be on the ballot. Voters need more choice, not less.

LO: My vision is to revitalize Plano as a suburban community of excellence. This means more single-family houses. There are plenty of cities for people to choose, but a service community like Plano is rare. A service community is where people ignore labels as they connect, human to human. Let’s offer people the opportunity to put down roots in this community. People are leaving cities in search of safe neighborhoods, great schools and open hearts.