Jeanne Weisz is running for Frisco City Council, Place 2. She is running against Mukesh Parna and incumbent Shona Huffman. Community Impact Newspaper sent Weisz a list of questions about her candidacy. Her responses below have been edited for publication style. This article is part of ongoing May 4 election coverage and does not constitute an endorsement of the candidate.

Why did you decide to run for office?

I noticed that Frisco has been losing the suburban character that made Frisco the best place to live and is being rapidly urbanized. I have had so many discussions with everyday people who feel like their voices are not being heard and who fear that the rapidly increasing cost of living in Frisco may force them to move somewhere else. Many people asked me to run for this position to give them a legitimate voice. If the people of Frisco wanted to live in Dallas, they would not have chosen Frisco in the first place. I feel the City Council, especially in Place 2, is not representing the residents of Frisco as much as big business, special interests and outside investors. The everyday, hardworking citizens need a voice, someone to champion their concerns and someone who is not conflicted about who they represent. I have no such conflicts of interest and will represent every resident of Frisco equally. I will be a voice for the people.

What do you think is one of the biggest issues facing Frisco today, and how do you plan to address it on the City Council?

I feel the biggest issue we have here is density/congestion, which is causing other problems in our community. We need to focus very hard on making sure we have plenty of green space, more single-family [housing], and less multifamily/apartments. I will fight to help keep the suburban appeal of Frisco rather than having it transformed into Uptown Dallas.

Traffic is one of the top concerns for Frisco residents. What do you think are viable solutions to address traffic congestion in Frisco?

First we need to make a tremendous effort to reduce our density and congestion. This is what complicates the issue. By using careful foresight and planning with a serious commitment to zoning, this can be resolved. Widening streets, traffic diversion, and better utilizing technology for lights synchronization and other measures will help with our traffic and congestion issues. Whenever developments take place, being proactive about protecting wide open green spaces can go a long way to helping alleviate our current trajectory, which many citizens object to.

What is your stance on apartment and/or affordable housing development in Frisco?

To plan high-density housing in suburban areas without changing the character of the suburb into an urban entity is most difficult. The reason for this is that the needs of one are often at odds with the entity of the other. It is very difficult trying to blend towering apartment buildings in with rolling green suburbs. Every city needs to have some measure of multifamily/apartments and affordable housing. We need to remember the promises made to so many who chose Frisco in the first place, and none of them expected to have Frisco so over-built that the suburban feel of Frisco would be degraded.

The city in the past has used economic incentives and tax grants to attract companies. What means, if any, would you support the city using to attract companies in the future?

Frisco is already attractive to companies because our residents provide a broad range of skilled labor, and we are a destination city. We are located in Texas, and that fact alone makes this city desirable for relocation because Texas is corporation-friendly. If corporations want incentives and tax grants, they’ve got to be always mindful of the hardworking taxpayer dollars being used to lure them here. I have a vision for responsible, transparent economic development that protects our small businesses and our citizens.

What else do you want voters to know about you?

I will be a champion for the people, and I will know who I work for, and it is the people of Frisco. I am not conflicted in any way about who I will represent, and being retired from an amazing 40-year career, I will have a great deal of time to put into being the best and most responsive City Council member. Roosevelt said, “When people know the truth, they make the right decision.” It’s time for Frisco to vote with wisdom and make the Weisz choice. Thank you.