Mike Foreman

Former astronaut Mike Foreman will take over Friendswood City Council Position 4 after no other candidates filed for the race. Incumbent Patrick McGinnis decided not to run for re-election. Foreman and his wife, Lorrie, raised three children in Friendswood.

Years lived in Friendswood: 18
Occupation: Business owner
Campaign email:
[email protected]
Top priorities: My top priority is to listen to the citizens of Friendswood and to always act in the city’s best interests. I will be fiscally responsible while striving to make this the best Friendswood possible. I’m proud of our recognition as one of the safest cities in America and will work to maintain this distinction.

What is your solution to repair city streets?

Street repair needs to be higher on City Council’s “to-do” list. In recent years, competing priorities have been placed ahead of street maintenance. The 3/8-cent sales tax initiative, if passed, will provide sufficient funding over the next four years to address the current list of needs for street repair. We need to reinvest in our older neighborhoods to keep them vital and attractive and to address the city’s long-term costs of repair.

How important is the beautification and revitalization of the downtown district?

I think it’s very important. Our downtown district is the “front porch” of our city, and residents of Friendswood deserve a vibrant city center that they can be proud of. An investment in our downtown district will attract new businesses and result in increased pedestrian traffic, which will encourage even more new businesses to develop. The property taxes that all these new businesses will pay will add to our tax base and help to stabilize the property taxes currently paid by homeowners.

How can City Council help attract more businesses to Friendswood?

City Council has done some things in recent years that have already helped to attract more businesses. They have invested money in the drainage [infrastructure] in and around downtown to alleviate the requirement for businesses to have detention ponds on their properties. They had the foresight to put a 1/8-cent sales tax increase on the May ballot—if approved by voters, proceeds from this sales tax will help to improve the downtown district and attract businesses. It can be used to continue to invest in our community, particularly downtown. This investment will serve to protect our own property values and lighten the property tax burden on our residents.

What type of development would you like to see in Friendswood?

I want the type of development that we can all be proud of—that will meet our wants and needs. [I want] development that will sustain the residential quality, small-town charm and outstanding school system that we have all enjoyed. [I want] the type of development that will be an investment in the future of our city.