Eddie Cawlfield, a local attorney, was elected to the council’s Place 2 seat after securing roughly 68% of the vote during the May 4 election. The seat’s current occupant, Jay Pierce, did not file for reelection.
Cawlfield sat down with Community Impact for an interview about himself and his upcoming term. Some answers have been edited for style, length or clarity.
How long have you lived in Celina?
I first moved here in 2009 and then left briefly and then my wife and I came back in 2013. So, I guess 11-ish years on the return.
What have you seen about the city change in that time?
There’s certainly more residents and more growth, so that’s an obvious change. It’s the most obvious change that I’ve seen. Because it’s gotten larger, it feels like it’s easier to lose that feeling of small town community, and not necessarily intentionally—it’s just easy to do and it’s probably more natural than anything else. That’s a change that’s maybe more subtle that I’m hopeful to maybe play a very, very tiny part in helping us maintain some of that smaller-town feel in spite of the fact that we’re not really going to be a small town.
What got you to run for city council?
A number of reasons: I love this place—I am fortunate enough to live here. I’m also fortunate enough to have my office here in Celina, and so it’s pretty rare that I leave town. It’s rare that I get south of [US] 380. I’m here a lot and as such I’ve developed just a very genuine affection for the city. So that combined with the fact that over the last year or two I have seen and felt—and again maybe not all of it intentional—but just seen and felt maybe a little less unity and division sometimes simply for the sake of division. I attend all council meetings and have for quite some time ... and they really know how to party. I can walk to [the meetings] from my office and I started seeing things at meetings about a year and a half ago that I thought ‘Huh, I don’t know if that’s exactly the way that, as a citizen, it should be done,’ at least in my opinion. I decided then I was going to run—about a year and a half ago.
What are you hoping to accomplish over your term?
Most of the people who live here ... are not born and raised here. There was something that inspired them to move here. There was a moment, presumably for most people, at least, where they really fell in love with Celina and the idea of moving to Celina and there was something that inspired that. My hope is to maintain whatever it was that inspired people to move here and led them to fall in love with it, to maintain whatever that is in the face of the growth. That is my main priority. That, and also ... making certain that all decisions that are made by council are done with all council members and in front of the entire community or at least those who are interested in seeing it.
Is there anything from your time on local boards you will bring to council?
Anything I say sounds self-serving, which is certainly not my intention. I suppose if somebody else were answering that question about me, they would hopefully say ... my ability to listen and thoughtfully think before making decisions and really focusing on details. [The Celina Chamber of Commerce Board is] an entirely different board and larger board but I think ... collegiality and the ability to work with other people, that’s probably been refined as part of that board. I’m hopeful that those positive attributes that I may have developed as a member ... [that] I can carry those over.
What is something you want the Celina community to know about you?
I’m always available. I love this place. In spite of whether or not anybody voted for me, I represent everybody. If anybody ever needs anything or has any questions, my phone number is published. I’ll ... most certainly be doing my best to make them proud of have me as a member of their city council.