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Two candidates are competing in the May 2 local election for a soon-to-be vacant Place 5 seat on the Jersey Village City Council.
What you need to know
City Council places 1, 4 and 5 are up for election, held by council members Drew Wasson, Connie Rossi and Jennifer McCrea, respectively.
The Place 5 candidate to secure a majority of votes will replace McCrea, who did not file to run for reelection. Jersey Village City Council members serve two-year terms.
Rossi is running unopposed to keep her Place 4 seat, according to Feb. 13 candidate filings. Wasson is also not seeking reelection.
April 2 is the last day to register to vote in time for the May 2 election. Early voting is scheduled for April 20-28, according to the Texas secretary of state's website.
A quick note
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
Senior arbitration manager, large auto auction company; Jersey Village resident since 2011; Charter Review Commission ...
What is your top priority for Jersey Village, if elected?
My top priority is implementing Pay-As-You-Go funding: Phase in Fort Worth-style PayGo over 5–10 years for infrastructure and capital projects. Pay with current revenues, reduce unnecessary debt, protect reserves and prevent future tax hikes, ensuring long-term fiscal health while maintaining our small-town charm and quality of life.
How will you ensure transparency and accountability in City Council decisions?
I will build on Jersey Village's strong foundation of open meetings, posted council packets, and financial transparency by being readily accessible to residents. I'll publicly share my positions and reasoning on social media, encourage open dialogue, and use my mediation experience to foster fair, inclusive discussions.
What is the biggest challenge the city is facing today, and how would you address it?
Aging infrastructure combined with growing debt for projects like flood mitigation and utilities. I would address it by implementing modest, across-the-board budget efficiencies, asking each department to trim a nickel per dollar spent, while protecting core services and shifting to pay-as-you-go funding to avoid future borrowing and keep taxes stable.
How should the city balance budget sustainability with investments in city infrastructure and amenities?
The city should prioritize Pay-As-You-Go funding for infrastructure and amenities, using current revenues to build projects responsibly without new debt. We can achieve sustainability through modest efficiencies and resident unity, such as community crowdfunding to substantially reduce pool-related debt, ensuring investments strengthen our city while keeping taxes affordable for families.
How will you overcome differences of opinion on the future needs of the city?
Drawing on my years as an arbitration manager, I overcome differences by facilitating open, respectful dialogue and seeking creative, fair solutions everyone can support, even through compromise where all sides feel a slight stretch. This builds consensus around Jersey Village's shared goals: fiscal responsibility, strong services, and quality of life.
Director of Sales United States, BioZone Scientific; years working with city governments and global retail ...
What is your top priority for Jersey Village, if elected?
We need to bring new businesses into our city and make sure that we are supporting those businesses we do have. I would like to help in the creation of an Economic Development Committee to assist our city in this priority. Remember, sales tax revenue helps reduce our property taxes.
How will you ensure transparency and accountability in City Council<br>decisions?
Our city has obtained five of the six Comptroller transparency stars, a very admirable accomplishment. However, we should continue to lead but I feel we can make improvements on social media and resident engagement.
What is the biggest challenge the city is facing today, and how would you<br>address it?
One of the challenges is fire department costs and ensuring we have enough tax revenue to continue providing a high level of service. Another is focusing on proper management of the utility fund, maintaining our infrastructure but also working to have reasonable water rates. Also focus on increasing citizen engagement.
How should the city balance budget sustainability with investments in city<br>infrastructure and amenities?
Budgets should have priorities. A budget sets the focus and rhythm for the whole year. We need to maintain our core services and frequently evaluate additional services to ensure we are getting value. If a service is not providing value, we cut that funding.
How will you overcome differences of opinion on the future needs of the<br>city?
Everyone has different methods to accomplish that goal. It's important to be willing to listen to the viewpoints of others and consider that my viewpoint could be skewed. I can work with anyone on council provided we have the same long-term goal of the city's infrastructure and public safety.