Bellaire residents who take part in the Nov. 7 election will have three candidates to choose from for Bellaire mayor. Read Q&As with each of the candidates below, and look out for future Q&As with candidates running for the three positions on Bellaire City Council.
Why have you chosen to run for Bellaire mayor?
I chose to run for mayor because I have the experience, skills and background to lead, follow, or support council, staff and Bellaire residents to achieve.
How would you build consensus with other council members?
You build consensus with others through trust, respect and honesty, going both ways.
If you were elected, how would you go about achieving the goals in Bellaire’s Comprehensive Plan during your term?
Staying true to the plan without legislating from the dais.
Why have you chosen to run for Bellaire mayor?
I love Bellaire. I want to serve our community and our children. We have many challenges we must address for our city. Citizen safety should always be at the top. Our amazing police and fire departments need support and funding to keep us safe. We must always support them!
How would you build consensus with other council members?
I would build consensus with other council members by listening to them and respecting their opinions. The council and mayor should always work together to serve the best interests of our citizens. These council meetings should not be about us, but about the voice of our community members.
If you were elected, how would you go about achieving the goals in Bellaire’s Comprehensive Plan during your term?
I would achieve this by involving community members and leaders and making them part of our success. I would support our city manager in any capacity to help implement our plan. Council members must work together and prioritize the needs of our city by supporting one another.
Why have you chosen to run for Bellaire mayor?
I am running to ensure all residents are heard, and that the city should be run efficiently with transparency and accountability. It is important to ask the hard questions and make the hard decisions. I want Bellaire to have fiscal discipline based on sustainable and affordable long-term plans.
How would you build consensus with other council members?
Cliques and groupthink are poison to democracy. Diversity of opinion is appropriate. Only through open and honest debate will we reach the best decisions. I support training on dispute resolution, such as the training we have undertaken in the past and interest-based bargaining training for both staff and council.
If you were elected, how would you go about achieving the goals in Bellaire’s Comprehensive Plan during your term?
We are in the middle of updating the comprehensive plan. When complete we must update our zoning ordinances to comply with the comprehensive plan. I want our zoning to be clear so that developers can build as of right in compliance with the zoning.