Q&A: Hear from Jersey Village mayor candidates ahead of the May 6 election

Why are you running to be the mayor of Jersey Village?

Two years ago, I was elected as the mayor of the city of Jersey Village with more votes than any other mayoral candidate in the city’s history. The encouragement of my neighbors to enter public service is what sparked my initial run for City Council in 2017, and that same support is what led to my decision to run for re-election.

What are the biggest challenges facing the city, and how would you address them?

While Jersey Village has been fortunate to not experience any significant flooding since 2016, it remains the city’s greatest challenge. Since I joined our City Council, we have succeeded in obtaining $14.7 million in state and federal grants for flood mitigation projects. We still have much work to do, and I want to continue pursuing grant funding for additional projects to reduce the risk of flooding in our city.

What are your top priorities when it comes to new developmnet in Jersey Village?

Thanks to our economic development efforts and the sales tax revenue they have generated, we have been able to make significant investments in law enforcement, fire control and EMS without asking our citizens to pay more in property taxes. The average homeowner in Jersey Village pays less in property taxes to the city today than they did in 2017. My top priority is to continue that trend.

Why are you running to be the mayor of Jersey Village?

We need to preserve our small-town way of life: friendly, quiet and safe for families. I am adamantly against more apartments, a stadium or moving City Hall across Hwy. 290.

What are the biggest challenges facing the city, and how would you address them?

1. Speeding: More police monitoring traffic at known trouble areas. 2. Wasteful spending: I will question every penny spent getting the best value for their hard earned monies and hold government accountable. 3. Flooding: Seek better solutions than lifting houses 6 feet. 4. Code enforcement: Ensure the codes are enforced as written protecting property values. 5. Corruption: Publicize any and all businesses where council members directly or indirectly profit from contracts with the city.

What are your top priorities when it comes to new development in Jersey Village?

1. Document the vetting process for selecting developers. 2. Ensure the new development plans are viable by contacting the 50-plus developers. 3. No more apartments or a stadium. 4. Rebuild City Hall in current location.