HOUSTON
Humble City Council Place 2
Responses have been edited for length and clarity. *Indicates incumbent
Linda Greenan
Occupation: dispatcher for a logistics company in Humble
Experience: an interested 25-year Humble resident that wants to get involved in the inner workings of the city to continue making this a safe, happy and healthy place to live.
Contact: N/A
What is the biggest challenge the city faces, and how would you begin to address it?
LG: ... [Lack] of community involvement. ... As I have gotten out in the [community], ... so many are unaware what is happening in this city. Be it help after a disaster, local elections, participation in City Council meetings. We need some way to get word out to all residents of this city in an effective and efficient manner. The city could look into hiring someone who specializes in mass media but geared toward the local residents.
What part of the city’s budget is overfunded and/or underfunded? How would you begin to address this?
LG: After going through the budgets for the last three years, I really don’t see anything that is grossly over or underfunded. Humble should be proud that we manage our funds well and that those funds are being spent on the things that maintain, preserve and continue to keep our city a viable place to live and work.
How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in the city?
LG: ... The mayor, council members, chief of police, fire captain, etc. can and should get out in the community, in the neighborhoods. Engage with people on a regular basis. Let the residents ask questions, give suggestions, whatever it may be. Yes, we have council meetings twice a month, and this is a great place for this to happen. But again, the participation is very limited at best.
Charles Cunningham*
Occupation: distribution account consultant for CenterPoint Energy
Experience: I bring 38 years of business experience and 12 years as an elected school board member for Humble ISD where I served at the local, regional, state and national level.
What is the biggest challenge the city faces, and how would you begin to address it?
CC: Flooding [and] drainage. As the city’s representative, I will work with our local, state and federal agencies to improve the city’s infrastructure and utilities throughout our neighborhoods.
What part of the city’s budget is overfunded and/or underfunded? How would you begin to address this?
CC: Humble is one of a few cities in Texas with a budget surplus over the past few years and a low tax rate. The budget process involves input from the public, the governing body, the city manager and the city employees. When the city adopts its yearly budget, we review both our financial and operational needs to meet challenges both now and in the future.
How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in the city?
CC: First, I will treat our citizens as a stakeholder and an active part of the community with decision-making influence. Second, while online communication has unlocked the accessibility to our citizens, I would look at enhancing the city’s website to use digital communication like email for newsletters and alerting the public on upcoming events.
